Titled
by Desaix
Summary: Just a boring old Slayers fanfic with mostly canon couples.
1. Default Chapter Title

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Slayers Titled  
A Slayers fanfic by David A. Tatum  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the world that this story takes place in, nor do I  
own the characters- Software Sculptors, SOFTX, and many others do, instead.  
Consider this my small attempt at a tribute to that great series.  
  
A Note about the Name: The working title for this piece was 'Slayers  
Untitled.' I thought about what I was planning to do with it after  
finishing the first chapter, and realized that just removing the 'Un' would  
probably be enough to make it work...  
  
Authors Notes: This takes place after Slayers TRY. It probably will have  
spoilers for practically every element of the Slayers anime (I know  
practically zip from the manga or the novels) by the time I'm done with it,  
but may conflict with elements of the Slayers universe outside of what is  
presented in the anime... *shrug* If you don't want spoilers for the  
anime, you've been warned. If you get annoyed if something conflicts with  
the novels or manga, don't read it- and don't tell me about it... I don't  
care, really. (Well, I do, but I'm not changing what I have plotted  
because of it... and mentioning it to me if I can't change it will only  
discourage, so please don't).  
  
Brief note about capitalization of the races: (I wouldn't put this in  
here, but an editor of mine bugged me about a similar issue in a Ranma  
fanfic I've been writing) I will capitalize the races of Dragon, Human,  
and Mazoku whenever I am using such to describe 'affiliation' with each  
power. If I am just using it as a description, however, I won't bother.   
(This is important, as you'll find out in Chapter 1)  
  
Well, I guess that covers what I need to have to start writing, and I'm  
anxious to get going on this one, so I'm not going to include the usual  
ramble I have when I start a large fanfic (Wah! I'm starting another  
one... I need someone to stop me from watching anime until I'm done writing  
the fanfics that I've got- I keep getting too inspired to NOT write it).   
Enjoy.  
  
--------------------------  
  
Chapter 1: Not Your Ordinary (m)azoku  
...The Story of the Five Priests.  
  
Eleven Hundred Years Ago...  
  
Things were looking rather grim for the fate of the world. The dragon race  
was dying off- and fast. The Water Dragon King, one of the four parts of  
Ceiphied left behind after the great battle in which he was victorious but  
fell anyway, was just barely a match for the resurrected part of  
Shaburadnigo that came from Lei Magnus and his vassals, but that was not  
enough to turn the tide of victory to the favor of the Dragons. The Mazoku  
were just too strong. The Humans, who were peripherally the allies of the  
dragons, were almost powerless to do anything after many years of civil  
wars, although the development of their Shamanistic magic was starting to  
prove effective against some of the lesser demons and monsters, and what  
little white magic the Dragons could teach them help prevent their utter  
destruction. Still, it was a very grim time- Gaav, Shaburadnigo's  
lieutenant, could not be stopped by any save the Water Dragon King himself-  
and the Water Dragon King was too busy with Shabradnigo to notice Gaav.  
  
The Water Dragon King, however, had one last plan he could use. It was  
utterly desperate, and it was an all or nothing gamble, but it was the only  
chance he could see for the worlds survival. If he failed, however, the  
world would be utterly consumed by darkness and destruction.  
  
Knowing all this in his heart, he enacted his plan fiercely. He called  
upon the one power he knew of greater than both himself and Shaburadnigo.   
He called upon his Mother- the Lord of Nightmares, with a spell that would  
later be known as the Giga Slave. Unfortunately, as he was doing so, Gaav  
has sneaked inside his defenses and was about to take all the power that  
Shabradnigo could focus through him- a move which would temporarily kill  
this incarnation of Gaav, but which would utterly destroy the Water Dragon  
King for all time.  
  
And, to the surprise of all three in the battle- Shabradnigo, the part of  
Ceiphied, and Gaav, the Lord of Nightmares answered her call directly.  
  
*****  
  
"So," the Lord of Nightmares said, as she and the Water Dragon King drifted  
in what appeared to be an empty void. "God of the Dragons, what is of such  
great burden to you that even your broad shoulders cannot handle it?"  
  
"Mother," he answered in the Dragon tongue, more because it was not a  
language which was able to show his nervousness than for any other reason.   
"I was not expecting you to actually answer in this fashion."  
  
"But I have answered you in this fashion. So speak, my child- what do you  
wish of me? I will give you all that you TRULY desire... provided it does  
not interfere with what my other children desire, as well."  
  
"And if it does?" the part of Ceiphied asked.  
  
"Then the power of my Chaos will twist it as it sees fit. But come, now,  
enough stalling- answer my question, or I will give you the exact opposite  
of what it is you desire. Regardless of whether it effects my other  
children or not."  
  
"Very well," the Water Dragon King said, taking in a deep breath. "I ask  
that my Dragons win this war, and that you preserve the goals of our race."  
  
"Indeed, that is a very noble wish," the Lord of Nightmare said. "But I'm  
afraid I cannot grant that to you directly- at least, not in the way you  
might think."  
  
There was a pause, and he hung his head. "Then... we are doomed?"  
  
The Lord of Nightmares laughed. "My dear child, you are one of those I  
fashioned to be a god for my little world, and yet even you do not  
comprehend the power of Chaos? The Humans do, though they rarely realize  
it- some will join the Mazoku, some will fight alongside the Dragons, some  
will fight against BOTH, and some will fight FOR both. That is a race of  
Chaos- a race of those in my image. Hmm... yes, the Humans are a great  
power. Oh, this will be so much fun!"  
  
The part of Ceiphied blinked. Did she just say fun? "Mother?"  
  
"Do not fear, One Once Known As Ceiphied. Soon, you shall defeat this part  
of Shaburadnigo, and Gaav will be severely weakened. It is too late to  
save yourself, however- you have already been destroyed. Furthermore, the  
war will continue, despite the absence of the two of you. Not for long-  
there will be one final great battle, where a Human will decide it. A  
Human with a weapon not of this world." She paused. "Part of your wish  
will be granted. Whoever wins the war, neither side will be strong enough  
to continue... and Life, the ultimate goal of any Dragon, will be  
preserved."  
  
"Thank you, Mother."  
  
"I shall tell you what is to come, for your final battle will come upon  
returning to the mortal world, and so you cannot disturb the course of  
Chaos," she said. "Gaav will be sent against the other Mazoku. A new  
Mazoku priest, Xelloss, will be created... and he will destroy MANY of your  
kind. I will tell you he will not always be Mazoku, however... though he  
will always be mazoku," She paused.  
  
As the Lord of Nightmares talked, visions of the future, granted to the  
great dragon by the Lord of Nightmares, started filling his head. The idea  
of being Mazoku without being mazoku made no sense to him.  
  
"But not before half of the Dragons are utterly destroyed," she continued,  
"He shall be one of the Five Great Priests I will create. One, whom I  
shall name Rezo, will hold inside him the eyes of Shaburadnigo. He shall  
be the most revered of the five, but he will betray the world. One, whom I  
shall name Zoltar, shall be the Priest of Darkness, and shall establish the  
center of power for those humans who follow the path of the Mazoku. He  
shall be forgotten, but his power will be seen in the final days. One,  
whom I shall name Sailoon, shall establish the center of power for the  
humans who follow the path of the Dragons. These two shall be absorbed  
into the cities they create, and none shall know of their continued  
existence. One shall be a human- the only mortal of the bunch. As Chaos  
predicts, the strongest of those who follow the path of Life Above All- the  
Priesthood which shall be known as the Knights of Ceiphied- will be the  
only ones who naturally die. Others will inherit the title as the time  
passes, and these priests will hold both your power and mine. The final  
Priest, the Trickster Priest, shall be the servant of the Mazoku, Xelloss,  
a foil to the Knight of Ceiphied. He will not be your ordinary mazoku,  
however... as Chaos demands, he will be fated to preserve the lives of  
those most Chaotic. He will not stand for what the Mazoku desire, but he  
will be fated to obey them. He will listen when they tell him to wipe out  
the Dragons, and he will nearly do it on his own... but he shall spare more  
dragons than any other Mazoku would in this war. He will be given orders  
which go against his nature, but none of them will be required of him after  
this war. And he will be the slave of the Mazoku, forced to do their  
bidding until I... He will, that is, until -I- need him. And I shall name  
him... Xelloss. Through these five Priests, balance will be preserved, and  
all three Great Races, the Humans, the Dragons, and even the Mazoku will  
survive."  
  
Suddenly, a picture of a red-haired sorceress came to the mind of the Water  
Dragon King. She was where he was... and a man was floating towards her.   
A blond swordsman, who looked anxious to reach her- to merely touch her.   
And he did... and then she disappeared, leaving him heartbroken. And then  
she reappeared, and all the two would do was grab each other and deliver  
the most heartfelt kiss that the dragon had ever seen among humans.  
  
"Mother... what was that I just saw?" he asked.  
  
"I do not know," she answered. "My visions are chaotic... sometimes, even  
I do not understand what they show me. However, I feel that Xelloss will  
be connected with that incident, somehow... perhaps that is what shall  
cause me to claim back my little mazoku to perform my deeds. And perhaps  
it is merely the daydream some man will have while talking with him... it's  
really hard to tell." The Lord of Nightmares' assumed form faded away.   
"But it doesn't matter. Your time with me is up... now you must return to  
the world I made for you, and face your retirement. I shall preserve your  
memories for the ages... though I will change some things. I do not want  
others to attempt the Giga Slave, so I will change your memories to believe  
that this spell will cause utter destruction. I will also alter the  
memories of Shabradnigo and Gaav so that they do not know of what you've  
done... and all will be as I plan it. And ALL my desires will be  
fulfilled."  
  
*****  
  
The Mazoku lords were in shock. Shabradnigo had been frozen into a block  
of ice, and Gaav had turned rebel. Phibrizo's priests and generals had  
been annhiliated for all time- as had all of his servants. Despite the  
fall of Ceiphied, the Dragons so outnumbered the Mazoku that all chance of  
victory seemed gone. They certainly couldn't resurrect any more parts of  
Shabradnigo at this point- they couldn't find any, and they lacked the  
strength to. What was worse, several humans had arisen to cause serious  
disruption to their plans- one the Swordsman of Light, who bore a unique  
weapon which could easily kill many of their kind, and the other the Knight  
of Ceiphied, who seemed to possess powers which defied belief. Another was  
Rezo the Red Priest, who, though blind, possessed a number of powerful  
spells in white magic which could hurt them. Still another was Sailoon, a  
great warrior who, out of nowhere, became a leader of the humans and  
founded a sanctuary against their kind. He had been gathering many of the  
more powerful human mages to create a refuge for those dedicated to the  
study of white magic- a power which could harm only them. The dragons  
themselves had rallied to a particular mountain range, where it appeared  
that the remains of the Water Dragon King were stored- relics which  
protected them from many of the dangers the lesser Mazoku could present.  
  
The four loyal vassals of Shabradnigo met- in astral forms, only, as they  
could not leave their physical locations without letting in much larger  
hordes of Dragons and the three remaining parts of Ceiphied. If they  
didn't come up with a plan, however, they would be attacked, possibly  
destroyed, and forced to abandoned the barrier they had created. They  
needed... a new force. Just something to restore the balance of power  
before they were overwhelmed. To create a stalemate- or perhaps even a  
little bit more of a stalemate- before things got out of hand.  
  
It was into this meeting that the Lord of Nightmares appeared.  
  
"Greetings, Children," she said. "I understand you have a problem."  
  
"That would be an understatement, Mother," Phibrizo, the de-facto leader of  
the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's absence. Only he and Zelas were capable of the  
job, and Zelas was more interested in her weaker beasts- her 'toys'- than  
in the job of leading the Mazoku armies. "If we do not grow in strength  
considerably in the next few days, we are doomed."  
  
The Lord of Nightmares smiled. "Then you are in luck. I've got some need  
to create two servants on this planet. For one, however, I shall need your  
aid... and in return, he shall be your slave until such time as I recall  
him- which will not be until long after a cease-fire has been reached in  
this war. Phibrizo, as the current master of the Mazoku in Shabradnigo's  
absense, he shall be your servant, but I cannot form him from you, unless  
you sacrifice a part of yourself. Do you wish this, or will you designate  
another from which I can draw power?"  
  
The answer was obvious. "Zelas Metallium, you have no priest nor general,"  
Phibrizo noted.  
  
"I have never desired one," Zelas replied.  
  
"But you have the power to form one without sacrificing a part of yourself.  
So, make for the Lord of Nightmares MY slave."  
  
Zelas nodded. "I will. Though if I do, I may ask for this priest back,  
one day."  
  
Phibrizo laughed. "He will be a slave to all of us, but my orders will  
always take precedence while I still exist. Understand?" Before Zelas  
could reply, he turned to the Lord of Nightmares. "I designate Zelas  
Metallium to draw the power from."  
  
"Very well."  
  
And thus, Xelloss Metallium, son of Zelas Metallium, was born.  
  
*****  
  
Five years later...  
  
Xelloss planted the smile on his face that was expected of him. As the  
slave to the Hellmaster Phibrizo, he was forced to destroy those thousands  
of dragons. As a person, however, he utterly despised it. If he did not  
know what the Lord of Nightmares had planned for his future, he would not  
be able to even pretend. As it was, though... he was able to avoid taking  
life too seriously. For now, at any rate.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of another gold Dragon,  
cowering behind some rocks. He turned quickly, planning to kill it before  
it could get a shot off and hurt him...  
  
But paused, the spell still in his hand, when he saw it was just a young  
mother dragon, holding her egg. Xelloss' nature gave him a moment to  
pause, and he tried to help her.  
  
"Please," he said. "I don't want to kill you... don't fight me, and I  
won't have to. My orders are only to destroy the Dragon Army, and if you  
don't fight you aren't part of the army..."  
  
The frightened mother gawked at him in disbelief. "But you just massacred  
those thousands of dragons right in front of me! What game are you  
playing, Mazoku?"  
  
"Me? Playing games?" Xelloss laughed. "It's what I do- I'm the Trickster  
Priest, after all. But I'm not heartless... and I have my own agenda,  
separate from that of the rest of the Mazoku. So I bend the rules where I  
can... and so I'm offering to spare your life, woman. I swear it... and I  
want you to tell the other dragons out there that I spared your life, and  
that I did so because I swore it. This war will not last much longer- when  
it ends, I want your race to know that I can be trusted to keep my word.   
You can hate me, but you must know you can deal with me."  
  
"How do I know you'll keep your word?" the dragon mother shot back, still  
frightened.  
  
Xelloss raised a finger. "That... is a secret."  
  
The dragon mother got angry at the evasive answer, though for some reason  
felt like she'd gotten an answer from somewhere else- as if L-sama herself  
was telling her heart to trust his word. "Okay, Xelloss of the Mazoku. I  
will tell my kind of what you've done for me... but I shall also tell them  
why, and I shall inform them that it was YOU who committed the massacre."  
  
Xelloss nodded. If he was capable of doing so right then, he would have  
wept for those he killed, but he couldn't do that- he was being watched.   
"I'm sure it'll make a wonderful story for your kid," he said cheerily.   
"If you'll excuse me, though, it looks like your people's forces have  
started to regroup... I must get back to fighting."  
  
He teleported away, leaving the mother behind aghast. "That's a strange  
mazoku... come, Filia," she told her egg. "We must get out of here fast,  
before the battle cuts off our escape route."  
  
Xelloss, now standing atop a different peak, waited for the Dragons to  
strike. Next to him, in the air, the Beastmaster Zelas Metallium suddenly  
appeared- apparently out of no-where.  
  
"Interesting," the Beastmaster said. "I could report that little incident  
of your sparring that Dragon's life, if I wanted, and get you in a lot of  
trouble with Hellmaster. Give me one reason why I shouldn't."  
  
Xelloss merely smiled at her. He wasn't yet trusted by any of the Mazoku,  
having been born from the Lord of Nightmare's desires, alone. Zelas WAS  
his mother, however, and seemed to almost care for him... as much as any  
Mazoku cared for another. Still, he was sharp enough to answer properly  
when asked a question. "I suppose you think I'm going to say something  
about how valuable my powers would be to you, but I'm not. That only makes  
me a threat. No... I'm merely going to say that everything I told her was  
the truth, and I felt it was in the Mazoku's best interest to let that  
dragon and her child live."  
  
Beastmaster laughed. "Indeed? How do you figure that?"  
  
"The war will not end in a decisive victory, but with an indecisive one.   
Whether that victory is ours or theirs, it does not matter... and we may  
want to establish to the Dragons that we CAN be trusted to keep our word.   
Gaav, as you know, has rebelled, and it may take their aid to hunt him down  
one of these days. Other Mazoku are... grumbling... against the generals,  
and we may have more soon. Plus, the Golden Dragons are known to be  
ruthless- remember what they did to the Elder Dragons. It may turn out,  
one day, that their ruthlessness will be enough to make them useful weapons  
in our cause. And so, knowing that the war will end soon, I decided that  
it might be appropriate to extend the first olive branch of peace."  
  
"Indeed?" the Beastmaster chuckled. "And how do you know the war is ending  
so soon?"  
  
"That... is a secret."  
  
Zelas laughed heartily. "Oh, my... I want you. If Hellmaster ever tires  
of you and decides to release you to find another slave- or if he just  
HAPPENS to be killed in this war, I do hope you'll entertain the notion of  
becoming my servant. Your notions are quite entertaining, and as you  
hinted at before, your power is quite impressive."  
  
"Thank you, Zelas Metallium- Mother," Xelloss said. "I expect to have to  
do that one day, anyway. I warn you, however, that I am not a normal  
mazoku."  
  
"It IS fate, as I don't care for NORMAL Mazoku, myself." Zelas said, not  
quite understanding the reference but enjoying his answer all the same.   
"Well, the Dragons are coming soon, so I'd better let you get to work now."  
  
Zelas disappeared, and Xelloss turned his attention to the battle. The sky  
was crowded with gold and black dragons. Trying to keep the pain out of  
his eyes, he raised his fists, and let out a powerful blast of energy....  
  
*****  
  
The Present...  
  
Xelloss sat, patiently waiting for his master's orders. The Beastmaster  
had been kind to him, quickly learning that he functioned most efficiently  
when engaged in subterfuge against other (more rebellious) elements of the  
Mazoku order, and allowing him to continue his association with Lina  
Inverse and her companions. In fact, she even allowed him to 'flirt' with  
a Dragon woman... a privilege no other Mazoku had been granted. True, the  
Dragon woman in question failed to see that he WAS flirting with her-  
instead believing he was just teasing her cruelly- but the mere fact that  
he wasn't being punished for even associating with a Dragon attested to the  
Beastmaster's patience with him.  
  
It has only been a couple of days since the party split up... Amelia went  
home (Zelgadis in tow- though he quickly departed on his continued quest to  
find a cure. The fact that he was now delicately carrying a momento of  
hers, though, attested to the fact that he now had a new home, as well, in  
Sailoon), Filia moved somewhere that she could raise the newly-hatched  
Valgaav easier, and Lina and Gourry... well, last he heard, the number of  
bandit gangs in the wilderness was plummeting very rapidly. His remaining  
friends (for that was what he thought of them)- Sylphiel, Zangulus,  
Martina, and the others... well, they all had settled down in their own  
way.  
  
Life was boring.  
  
'Xelloss,' a voice- a very distinct voice in his ears, though he knew  
no-one could hear it but him. 'Return to me. Your slavery to the Mazoku  
is at an end. I have my OWN set of missions for you.'  
  
Xelloss never could disobey a command by one stronger than him... and this  
was no exception. He was not one to disobey the Lord of Nightmares.  
  
"Xelloss, where are you going?" Zelas asked, a strain in her voice. It  
seemed as though her little pet was trying to run away. And it was such an  
inopportune time, too... the Mazoku were making many very significant  
plans, now that much of the Dragon race had been wiped out, and her chief  
lieutenant would be a very difficult asset to replace.  
  
"My service to you is at an end," he said simply. "My Creator, my Mother,  
the Golden Lord, has recalled me to her service."  
  
Zelas growled. "Why does SHE have precedence over ME? I am ALSO your  
Mother- your TRUE mother. Your powers were taken from me, and I helped  
forge them with her."  
  
Xelloss smiled. "I'm surprised you don't know, actually. Are you sure you  
want me to tell you?"  
  
"If you say that it's a secret, you won't live long enough to even TRY and  
escape to her."  
  
Xelloss continued to smile. "It IS a secret, but a rather open one. I  
guess I can give you a hint, though... as payment for tolerating me."  
  
"Spit it out, already!" Zelas snarled.  
  
"She gives me all the freedom I want. Freedom to act without orders.   
Freedom to choose my own path. Freedom to find a mate."  
  
"Wouldn't that be that fiery-haired sorceress you've been doting on?"  
  
Xelloss frowned. "Hardly 'doting on.' More like 'becoming friends with.'   
I know what Gourry would- and could- do to me if I took Lina from him. I  
have an eye on several women out there, however, of several races. Perhaps  
the one I wish to choose as my lover is YOU!"  
  
Zelas blinked. "You mean... you wish your freedom from me so you may  
become my lover?"  
  
"Maybe! Actually, though I've hated all this 'Mazoku must try to destroy  
everything' business all this time, but every day, just when I got up in  
the morning, L-sama told me to stick to it and it would all turn out okay.   
Now, if you'll excuse me, I can't afford to keep her waiting. Oh, and  
consider this my formal resignation. Sorry, I know it'll be difficult, but  
you'll just have to make do without me!" Xelloss chirped happily, right  
before phasing out.   
  
Zelas blinked. "His impertanence is astounding." She smiled. "But if he  
wishes to become my lover, he has another thing coming. He would have to  
grow considerably in power to become even CLOSE to strong enough to face  
me."  
  
Xelloss phased back in a second later, to deliver one last parting line  
before leaving again- this time, for good. "I told you, I'm not your  
ordinary mazoku. I MAY grow that strength one day. Though if I do, it  
won't be because I wish to be your lover."  
  
-------------------------  
  
  
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desaix@sysnet.net  
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee   
fanfics available at   
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm  
David A. Tatum's Used Anime Trading Post  
http://www2.sysnet.net/~desaix/shop.htm 


	2. Default Chapter Title

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Chapter 2: Pax Sailoon  
...A Moment of Peace While the Company Assembles  
  
Gourry poked the fire he had built with a stick, trying to provoke it into  
cooking faster. He looked over at the young woman he had given himself the  
job of protecting, and asked a question.  
  
"Lina, where are we going? I forgot!"  
  
"Baka! How many times do I have to tell you, we're going to-" Lina  
started, preparing to throttle the somewhat forgetful swordsman. Cutting  
herself off in mid-sentence, she paused to think about it. "Um, actually,  
I guess I haven't told you this time, have I? We're heading over to the  
city of Femille...."  
  
Gourry stroked his chin. "Femille... Femille... that name sounds  
familiar... wait, isn't that the city with all the women?" His eyes  
widened, and he stared at Lina in a state of pure terror. "You aren't  
going to make me dress up in a dress again, are you?"  
  
Lina WANTED to say yes- it was so much fun the last few times she'd been  
able to play 'dress-up' with him. However... "No, not this time.   
There've been a lot of legal reforms since we last went there- men aren't  
executed just for entering the city, now, they just can't hold high  
political offices unless they're of the royal family or anything like  
that." She smiled for his benefit... though regretted the knowledge that  
she'd probably never be able to talk him into being her dress-up dolly ever  
again, now that she no longer had that excuse. "Now, it's just a mecca for  
white sorcerers and religious types."  
  
"Ah... why are we headed there?"  
  
"I'm researching something... I'll need your help with it, actually, but  
I'm going to keep it a surprise until then."  
  
Gourry smiled. "Well, I'll always help you out if you need me. You know  
that."  
  
Lina ALMOST blushed. "Yeah... I do." She paused. "Say... that 'Gourry  
Bomb' trick we were using in that last fight... it gave me an idea. You're  
always complaining because I have to carry you whenever we fly anywhere...  
what if I taught you a couple magic spells to help you out in situations  
like that?"  
  
"Me? Learn magic? Why? You're plenty good at that stuff already. I'll  
just rely on my sword, thank you. Besides, doesn't it take years to get  
good at that sort of thing?"  
  
"To get good at it, yeah. But I'm not talking about making you into a  
wizard or anything- just giving you a couple spells that even your average  
jellyfish could learn in a week," Lina said, smiling to show she was  
teasing him. "Simple things like Lighting, Levitation, and maybe a minor  
heal spell. You don't have the Sword of Light any more, and I've gotta do  
SOMETHING to make my protector somewhat useful... or at least not as much  
of a burden. You've gotta learn to fly by yourself, at least." Gourry  
winced, so she patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry- this is only  
temporary. We'll find you a new sword, and then you'll be just as useful  
as you ever were. But in the meantime, we've gotta try something." She  
paused. "And we'll have to be a bit more careful when travelling... um, we  
might need to find somewhere safe to bunk down for a few days in a week or  
so."  
  
Gourry wasn't quite sure what to say. For one thing, he wasn't sure why  
Lina was so worried about things a week from then- he certainly didn't know  
of anyone powerful enough to be a challenge for her alone that would be  
likely to attack them, and even if he was he wouldn't know why Lina would  
know that they'd be attacking in a week or so. However, that wasn't what  
was really bothering him. When he considered what she'd said, he was sort  
of pleased- there were a number of times, while travelling, he wondered if  
Lina let him follow her merely to stay close to the Sword of Light. He  
knew he'd risked losing her companionship when he surrendered that weapon  
to the other world, but he felt it was something he just needed to do. It  
was almost as if something inside of him was telling him the sword was no  
longer needed in his world. That, and it would be a way of KNOWING if Lina  
just tolerated him for the Sword of Light, or if there was some other  
reason. And here Lina was, not only letting him stay with her, but  
actually worrying about him.  
  
Actually, that was what was most on his mind. He was the one who was  
supposed to protect HER- not the other way around. But what she said was  
the truth- without the Sword of Light, he was useless to her. In fact, he  
was, as she put it, a 'burden.' Perhaps Lina would be better off if he  
wasn't there. But he really shouldn't decide that for himself, should he?  
  
"Lina," he began. "Um... do you need me to come with you to Femille?"  
  
Lina sighed. "Look, Gourry- I already said you'll be perfectly safe there.  
Since it was revealed that half the nation was men ANYWAY, they dumped  
those silly anti-men rules. You won't be lynched, and if anyone tries I'll  
fry them for you."  
  
"That's not what I meant!" he cried, upset. He was trying to ask her  
something important, here, and he couldn't figure out how to ask it right.  
  
Lina started to notice his agitation and frowned slightly. Something was  
seriously wrong with him- he didn't usually get this worked up over a  
little thing like going somewhere where he might be unpopular. Something  
was definitely wrong with him. "Gourry... what are you trying to ask me?"  
  
"Lina," Gourry said. "I'm no longer the Swordsman of Light. In fact, I'm  
no longer the swordsman of ANYTHING, since all I have is this silly mallet  
to fight with. You said it yourself- I'm useless as your protector and, in  
fact, I'm probably a burden to you." He paused. "I can't protect you any  
more, Lina... I want to, but I can't. We'll NEVER be able to replace the  
Sword of Light, and without it I'll probably never be much better than your  
average mercenary, even if I DO get another sword. Shouldn't you find  
someone to protect you who would be better at it than I am?"  
  
Lina looked at him in surprise. Maybe she'd been riding him a bit hard  
about how useless he was without the Sword of Light, but she certainly  
never expected anything like this. It almost worried her to think he might  
leave- almost, but not quite.  
  
"Gourry, I'm probably the most powerful sorceresses in the world right now,  
I'm pretty good on my own with a sword, and I lived on the road for some  
time without a protector, back before I met you. I never needed YOU as a  
protector, so why should I go find someone else?" Seeing the worry still  
plainly visible in his eyes, Lina instinctively continued, "I tried to  
chase you off when I first met you- at least, I did until you offered to  
pay for a meal for me. After that, well, I just let you tag along to use  
you for your money. When I found you had the Sword of Light, I decided I'd  
just stick around you until I could convince you to give it to me, and then  
I'd run right off." She paused. "It stopped being about the Sword of  
Light quite some time ago. I don't know when, exactly, but it was  
before... before we had that horrible battle with Hellmaster. It wasn't  
the Sword of Light I was worried about, then... it was you. So, unless  
you've got someone back home waiting for you that you never told me about,  
I'd rather you stay with me."  
  
Gourry nodded. He missed some of the implications of that statement, and  
Lina knew him well enough now to realize he would, but it was enough for  
him to know that she didn't want him gone. And that was enough for him.  
  
He frowned. "So... why is it that we're going to have to find somewhere  
safe in a week or so? What's going on?"  
  
Lina blushed. "Gourry... um, let's just not talk about that, okay? My  
magic won't quite be working at its best, so I just think it would be best  
to not be travelling then."  
  
Gourry nodded. "Ah... so that time of the month is coming up again."  
  
"GOURRRRRY!" Lina growled, turning bright red as she bashed him over the  
head.  
  
*****  
  
"...just love that restaurant!" one of a pack of teenaged boys was saying  
to his friends. "The foods great, and that waitress is just a terrific  
floor show!"  
  
"You mean that Luna Inverse chick? The one with the big breasts who's  
always teleporting everywhere?"  
  
Another person who the teenaged boys might have described as a  
'big-breasted chick' overheard this with great delight. "OOOOH HO HO HO HO  
HO HO HO HO HO!" her shrill laughed echoed through the streets as she  
approached the boys. They cringed in terror, furiously looking for a way  
to escape. "Lina, Lina, Lina... did you think you could escape I, your  
greatest rival and companion, Naga the White Serpent, just by changing your  
name to Luna, stuffing your bra, and getting a job as a waitress thousands  
of miles from where we last saw each other? OOOOH HO HO HO HO HO HO!"  
  
The teenaged boys were torn- they wanted to escape the dreaded noise of  
that horrid laugh, but then again... that laugh did MAGNIFICENT things to  
that remarkable bosom that this strange scantily-clad woman was blessed  
with.  
  
One of the braver of the boys finally said something. "Um... what do you  
want?" he asked nervously.  
  
"The restaurant where this 'Luna' Inverse works- take me to it!" Naga  
demanded.  
  
"Um... okay, fine! Just please... don't laugh any more... or at least  
don't laugh quite so loudly!"  
  
*****  
  
"Halt!" the man in charge of the morning shift's Palace Guard for the Royal  
House of Sailoon demanded, levelling a spear at the cloaked stranger.   
"Advance to be recognized, then state your name and the purpose of your  
visit."  
  
A blue-skinned chimera stepped forward, removing his hood. Worn around his  
wrist was a charm which any soldier of Sailoon would recognize as belonging  
to their Royal Princess Amelia. "Zelgadis. Social call upon the Princess  
Amelia," he said, waving the charm slightly.  
  
The soldier remained stoically unmoved, lowering his guard slightly but not  
completely. "I am afraid that is impossible. The Princess Amelia is under  
house arrest, and so visitors are forbidden to see her."  
  
"House arrest?" Zelgadis repeated, his eyes slanting dangerously. "For  
what reason?" Had there been even more trouble to grace the Royal Family?   
Had one of their less-than-loyal uncles attempted to usurp power from  
Prince Philionel again?  
  
Another soldier of the guard, who recognized the unique physique of the man  
who was not-so-secretly the boyfriend of the princess, rushed up to prevent  
his supervisor from saying something that might accidentally get him all  
killed. "Hi, Zel. Prince Phil grounded her again- she snuck out of the  
castle without permission."  
  
Zelgadis sighed, relaxing his guard. "Again?" He took a few more steps  
in, finally getting close enough for the first footsoldier (who was trying  
desperately to hide the fact that he wasn't able to see clearly without  
glasses) to see just who it was he had been treating so disrespectfully.   
That particular officer had never had to deal with the chimera before, and  
so could only recognize him by reputation. Once he saw the blue skin,  
however, he immediately recognized the danger of the game he'd been  
playing, and paled slightly.  
  
"Maybe if you stuck closer to town, she would, too," the second soldier  
suggested as the first slowly slinked away, hoping that the chimera would  
leave him alone if he just returned to his duties.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zelgadis growled dangerously.  
  
"Um... nothing. Just that she's usually caught leaving when she's trying  
to follow you. That's all."  
  
Zelgadis sighed. He usually left 'in search of a cure' whenever he started  
getting overwhelmed by her somewhat... overenthusiastic... outlook on life.  
Something which happened much more often then the slightly spoiled  
princess liked, it seemed. In fact, his cure was now little more than an  
excuse to get away than anything- he didn't look very hard for it any more,  
and really couldn't imagine where else he MIGHT look for it. Besides, it  
appeared that his appearence wasn't quite as freakish as he initially lead  
himself to believe- sure, Amelia thought he was suspicious looking, but she  
also seemed to honestly find his curse 'neat.'  
  
"How long was she grounded for, this time?"  
  
"Actually, her punishment'll be up by tomorrow morning. Unfortunately,  
she'll immediately be leaving on a diplomatic mission to Femille... I  
believe she was hoping you'd be willing to join her as part of her royal  
escort."  
  
Zelgadis chucked. When he COULD tolerate her extreme exhuberance, he found  
being around her a rather pleasant thing. She was the first girl he could  
even come close to calling a girlfriend (though they weren't nearly as  
close as the tabloids said... though the tabloids inspired Amelia to ask a  
few unpleasant questions, all of which happened to be true, the most  
embarassing one being 'Are you always hard?' Thankfully, she was too  
innocent to realize what, exactly, she was asking). "Of course I will," he  
answered... then paused. "Wait, did you say FEMILLE? Is that the place  
famous for all the Shrine Maidens?"  
  
"Yeah," the guard said. "Heard they only recently allowed men into their  
community, but you should be safe. The laws have been changed to give men  
a lot of opportunities to live there, though, and that's why Prince Phil  
felt he needed to send them a new diplomatic mission- to reassess their  
political status after the sudden change." He paused. "He also felt that  
it might be wise to send Amelia there to see if she wanted to continue her  
training to be a Shrine Maiden, or if she just wanted to be a sorceress and  
live out certain aspects of her life forbidden to their order."  
  
"You mean Prince Phil wants to know if Amelia wants to get married some  
day," Zelgadis summarized. "Amelia told me once, when we were at the Royal  
Wedding of Xoana, that she hopes to get married someday. I wonder if she  
ever realized getting married would mean she'd have to give up being a  
Shrine Maiden."  
  
"Knowing Her Highness like we all do, I doubt it," the guard chatted. "You  
don't seem all that concerned with it, though. Considering how she treats  
you... and how you don't complain when she DOES treat you that way... I'm a  
bit surprised you're taking this so calmly."  
  
Zelgadis shrugged. "There's two reasons why it doesn't bother me. The  
first is that I'm a fatalist- I always expect that everythings going to go  
wrong, anyway, so it won't bother me if it does." He paused. "The other  
is that... well... this is Amelia we're talking about here. These are both  
things which will call upon her sense of love and justice equally. They're  
both things that she wants. Do you honestly think she'll be able to come  
to a decision, regardless?"  
  
The guard laughed. "True, true. So, should I show you to your apartment  
in the castle, or would you rather head out to eat first."  
  
"Apartment. I've been travelling almost non-stop for a month now- I need a  
hot bath and a comfortable sleep more than I need food." He smirked. "I'm  
not like the rest of Amelia's travelling companions- I don't obsess over  
eating whenever food is offered."  
  
*****  
  
The boy who'd recieved the job of guide to Naga was in heaven. When she  
didn't laugh, the sorceress was actually pleasant to be around. Deranged  
as all hell, yes, but for a body like that... well, insanity was a minor  
thing, really. After all, wasn't everybody at least somewhat crazy, in  
some way?  
  
"Here we are, miss," he said. Wringing his fingers nervousely, he  
continued, "Say, I was wondering if, after you're done with your business  
here, you might want to go out some time. See the sites, have some fun,  
and..."  
  
He stopped right there when it became obvious the girl wasn't paying any  
attention to him. Instead, she was marching towards the door with a  
purposeful stride. "Yoo-hoo! Lina! It is I, your greatest rival and  
travelling companion, Naga, here to see you! OOOOH HO HO HO HO HO!" she  
laughed as she made her way inside.  
  
Behind her, the boy shuddered and started to run away. Maybe it was worth  
putting up with insanity for a body like that, but it wasn't worth putting  
up with that laugh...  
  
Inside the restaurant, many of the patrons cringed at the shrill sound.   
One of the waitresses looked up, finished taking her order, and then  
teleported to the door to meet the new arrival.  
  
"*MUTE*" the waitress cast, putting a rather unusual spell over Naga's  
lips, silencing her. "Hiya. No laughing in the restaurant." She waved  
her hand, and suddenly the spell was removed. "Booth or table?"  
  
"I'm not here to order food," Naga stated imperially as she took a seat at  
an empty booth. "I'm looking for Lina Inverse."  
  
"Sorry, not here. Do you want a menu?"  
  
"No, I'll just have one of everything. Of course she's here! I've been  
trying to track her down for more than three years, now! Finally, I  
recieved word that there was a great sorceress named Luna Inverse who was  
working here. It was so obvious that Lina was merely making another poor  
attempt to escape from me! OOOH H-"  
  
"*Mute*" the waitress cast again. "Sorry, wrong Inverse. Lina's a  
thousand miles south of here."  
  
When her voice was returned to her, Naga glared up at the waitress. "What  
do you mean 'wrong Inverse?'"  
  
"I'm Luna Inverse. Lina's sister. 'Scuse- customer." Luna teleported to  
the front door to greet the incoming person.  
  
"So!" Xelloss chuckled, his eyes closed as was normal for him. "I finally  
get to meet the Knight of Ceiphied in person. It's an honor, I assure  
you."  
  
"Here to fight or eat?" Luna chirped, unphased by his appearance.  
  
"Niether, though I believe I'll sample some of your soft-serve ice cream  
while I'm able. I'm here to negotiate. Seems we've both got orders,"  
Xelloss said. "We'll be working together for a while."  
  
That struck through Luna's shield of flippancy. "Wow. We will? I hadn't  
received those orders yet."  
  
Xelloss shrugged, having yet to open his eyes. "These orders don't come  
from my Mazoku masters or from your Dragons. They're orders from someone a  
bit higher-up."  
  
"Just lost yer credibility, Xel-chan," Luna chuckled. "No-one's higher up  
than Ceiphied."  
  
Xelloss opened one eyebrow. "Not even the Lord of Nightmares?"  
  
Luna paused, then shrugged. "Okay, maybe her. But I'm busy- use Lina."  
  
"I already am. I've got a list of people I need to gather, and you and  
Lina are at the top of it. Her orders explicitly."  
  
"Proof?" Luna asked with her customary brevity.  
  
Xelloss nodded. "Just touch the seal of your knighthood. L-sama will talk  
to you through that."  
  
Suddenly, a horrendous laugh erupted from the other side of the restaurant.  
"OOOH HO HO HO HO HO!" it rang.  
  
Luna sighed. "Sorry- loony girl to stop. Be right back."  
  
Xelloss caught her sleeve before she could leave. "Wait- before you kill  
her, find out if her name is Naga of the White Serpent. She's somewhat  
famous for that laugh, but her real name is Gracia Ul Naga Sailoon, and  
Princess Gracia's one of the people on L-sama's list to gather."  
  
"She's Naga. Not gonna kill her. Just gonna Mute her... maybe  
permanently."  
  
*****  
  
Lina and Gourry made it to Femille just before Lina's powers started fading  
to uselessness- a very good time that surprised both of them. It was  
amazing how fast one could travel when they didn't have to go raiding  
bandit camps and fighting off hundreds of mercenary bounty-hunter groups.  
  
"I'm amazed, Gourry," Lina said, slightly sarcastically, as they walked  
through the city streets in search of a good inn with enough vacancies for  
them to not have to share a room. "It only took you a week to master  
Lighting. Most people master that in the first day of their magic studies,  
but I was expecting it to take you much longer than it did."  
  
"Gee, thanks, Lina," Gourry said, happy at the compliment and missing the  
near-blatant insult. "That was pretty hard to learn, though. I'm not  
really cut out for magic, you know."  
  
Lina sighed. "Well, you're right. You AREN'T cut out for magic." She'd  
been MORE than patient (for her) while trying to teach him, and had  
resorted to fireballing every time he made a mistake in the spell. Even  
then, it had taken several days to get him to cast Lighting consistently  
correctly. "But once you learn your first spell, it gets a little easier.   
And the only other spells I want you to learn are a minor healing spell and  
Levitation. You aren't even getting to the spells which require you to  
draw power from other sources and learn the differences between calling  
black, white, and shamanistic magic."  
  
"Oh... okay. So when do we get started on the next spell?" Gourry asked.  
  
"WE don't- at least not for a while. After we get settled in, I'm going to  
take you to one of the PROFESSIONAL magic instructors in the area and then  
we'll pay him to teach you while I check out the library for that piece of  
research I'm doing."  
  
"But, Lina... how am I going to learn anything without you there to  
encourage me?" he asked.  
  
Lina smiled faintly. "I'll be checking up on you each night. Right before  
dinner, I'll see what you've learned... and if you haven't learned enough,  
then you'll just have to go to bed without your supper, young man... and,  
of course, I'll have to eat your share" she teased, wagging a finger at  
him.  
  
"But I'll STARVE!" Gourry whined. Lina just laughed evilly.  
  
*****  
  
"S'what's goin' on?" Luna asked Xelloss as they left the restaurant where  
she worked, carrying a bound and gagged Naga with them.  
  
"Didn't L-sama tell you?" Xelloss asked curiously.  
  
"Said t'ask you."  
  
"Ah," he said, nodding. "Well, first we're heading to pick up this  
delightful young Golden Dragon I know... lovely creature. Has the heart of  
a mazoku."  
  
Luna chuckled. "S'pose ya like her?"  
  
"Ah, that is a secret," Xelloss said, raising a finger into the air. "But  
it wouldn't work out even if I did- she's one of the last of the Golden  
Dragons- if not THE last. I'm the mazoku who singlehandedly wiped out half  
the dragon race a thousand years ago... But then again, she DID forgive  
Valgaav, and he wiped out the other half. But I think that was largely  
because of a guilt complex involving the slaughter of the Ancient Dragons."  
  
"So what do we do after her?"  
  
Xelloss smiled as they entered a large carriage he'd purchased for the  
adventure. "Well... there are still another player or two we need to pick  
up- a swordsman in Xoana, a Shrine Maiden in New Sairaag, and, well, we may  
run into another person or two who we might want to bring along as well,  
according to L-Sama. She wasn't sure about that, though- something about  
how it would go against Chaos if she were to tell me for certain." He  
moved to help Luna secure Naga tightly into one of the carraige seats,  
making certain it would be impossible for the annoying girl to escape the  
bonds. "After that, we just head over to Femille, where the last four  
people will be waiting for us."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Well, this girl's younger, less annoying sister," he said, motioning to  
the bound and gagged sorceress. Naga's eyes widened in surprise. "The  
Princess of Sailoon, Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon. Amelia's boyfriend,  
Zelgadis- a powerful shamanistic sorcerer, for a human, and a good  
swordsman as well. Your sister, Lina, and her boyfriend, the former  
Swordsman of Light. Gourry Gabriev."  
  
Naga's eyes widened even more, and even Luna's opened a crack. "Sis has a  
boyfriend?"  
  
"Well, that's part of our mission. L-Sama wanted you and me to get them  
together- they've BEEN together for some time, actually, they just don't  
realize it yet."  
  
"Why would L-sama care about Sis's love life?"  
  
Xelloss raised a finger. "That... is a secret. I can tell you, but not  
when Miss Laughter here can eavesdrop."  
  
Luna finished tightening Naga's bonds. "Done."  
  
Xelloss smiled. "Next stop, the home of one cute but insulting 'lil Golden  
Dragon."  
  
With that, the entire carraige and all its passengers teleported.  
  
*****  
  
Lina was not in a good mood. Her research in the library had proven quite  
productive, but if she wanted to do what she wanted to do she'd need to  
find some new good, but small, magical amplifiers. She certainly wasn't  
going to give up the four talismen she bought from Xelloss for a project  
like this- no, she'd have to find something else. Furthermore, she'd need  
wood from a Holy Tree, and someone who was VERY powerful in white magic to  
get everything working just like she wanted. And what was worse, she'd  
have to let Gourry in on her little secret before she was ready- not right  
away, thankfully, but she'd have to get him to help in the item's creation,  
and not wait to make certain adjustments after talking with him about it.  
  
Well, they were in a Holy City. Finding wood from a Holy Tree wasn't  
likely to be difficult... just expensive. Finding a powerful practitioner  
of white magic wasn't likely to be very difficult, either- just  
frustrating, because she needed someone as powerful in white magic as she  
was in black magic. Maybe even more powerful.  
  
As far as magical ampliphiers were concerned, however... those were almost  
impossible to get ahold of. If she found one for sale, she'd be very  
dubious as to its legitimacy, in fact. She'd have to do something like  
talk to a powerful Mazoku or Dragon to make some for her... maybe she could  
find Filia and ask her to make something for her, but that was a LONG trip.  
One she really didn't want to have to make.  
  
But none of that was why she wasn't in a good mood. She wasn't in a good  
mood because of how mad Gourry's teacher was starting to make her, from  
what he was telling her.  
  
His arms were a mess of wounds caused by his attempts to teach Gourry 'the  
traditional way.' Namely, make a fresh cut on the student, and force the  
student to heal themselves. However, the teacher also was refusing to heal  
Gourry after the 'test' was over, instead just bandaging the wound and  
making a new cut when he tried testing him again. True, that was sort of  
how her older sister had taught her, but at least Luna would keep the  
number of open wounds down to five (and Luna was one of the most sadistic  
magic instructors Lina knew of). Gourry had nearly thirty cuts up and down  
his arm.  
  
"We're finding you a new teacher, Gourry," Lina growled, using her own  
healing spells to repair the wounds in such a way they wouldn't leave  
scars. "This is just malpractice, plain and simple." She paused.   
"Actually, maybe I'll work with you a bit after dinner- I'll leave one cut  
for you to heal, but thirty is downright DANGEROUS."  
  
Gourry waved her off with his uninjured arm. "It's not too bad, Lina. You  
put me through worse learning Lighting."  
  
Lina shook that comment off. "I know what I'm doing with those fireballs-  
I can control them well enough to make them hurt without making them  
injure. And what the guy did, itself, isn't that bad- I learned this way,  
too. But he took it WAY too far- the difference would be me using a Dragon  
Slave spell to let you know you were making a mistake, instead of a very  
controlled Fireball spell." She paused. "What he did was dangerous- you  
lost a lot of blood, and if I wasn't healing you right now you might have  
lost a dangerous amount before tomorrow morning. No, we'll have to find  
you someone else."  
  
"But we've already paid, and he won't give refunds..." Gourry protested.  
  
Lina growled. "Well... at least let me talk to him before your next  
session. He shouldn't be doing this to you." She finished her heal spell,  
leaving only the smallest injury for him to practice on later. "Come on-  
let's get something to eat."  
  
*****  
  
"Ah," Amelia sighed. "It's amazing how peaceful the countryside has  
become."  
  
Zelgadis, riding on a horse alongside her, frowned. "I don't like it. It  
seems almost too peaceful."  
  
Amelia looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I don't like how peaceful it's become in the last few months. Usually,  
you'll run into the odd troll, berserker, goblin, or some other lesser  
monster when travelling. Or even just a bandit gang or something... but  
nothing. It's been this way for some time, now- ever since we got back  
from defeating Dark Star and Valgaav, it seems to have slowed to a stop.   
And I don't understand why- we didn't do anything to stop their raids, did  
we? If anything, there should be MORE of them, now that the Dragons have  
been so seriously weakened."  
  
Amelia laughed. "Oh, it's probably nothing to get worried about. I mean,  
we've got a heavily armed guard protecting us- no bandits or monsters are  
likely to mess with us. Besides, daddy's started policing the roads again,  
now that all of our family squabbles are settled. It's bound to be more  
peaceful than it was before."  
  
"Perhaps," Zelgadis said doubtfully. "It still feels like the calm before  
the storm, to me." He paused, and decided to change the subject. "So... I  
was wondering. Do you intend to be a Shrine Maiden for the rest of your  
life?"  
  
Amelia shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it- I suppose so. Why?"  
  
"You do realize Shrine Maidens can never marry, right? Otherwise, they  
wouldn't be 'maidens' any more." He paused. "You DID say you want to get  
married someday."  
  
Amelia blushed brightly. "Um... well, I do." She looked at him nervously.  
"Er... do you want to get married... someday?"  
  
Zelgadis smirked. "Maybe," he said patronizingly. "If I ever find a  
willing girl."  
  
Amelia's blush grew. "Um... I might be willing... one day."  
  
"Hmm. You know I sometimes like to do things on my own. I might go off  
sometimes, and not want you to come along." He looked over at her. "I  
know you've been running away from home to follow me sometimes, even though  
I'm usually trying to find a bit of privacy. Do you think you could accept  
me not always being there?"  
  
Amelia looked away guiltily. "It might be a bit hard for me...." She  
paused. "Then again, I could always spend the time you were away acting as  
a Shrine Maiden!"  
  
Zelgadis blushed. Apparently, Amelia wasn't quite aware of what the  
problem with that would be. He considered trying to explain it to her, but  
decided he'd find someone else to explain the birds and the bees to her....  
  
*****  
  
Filia opened the door to her little cabin and blinked in surprise.   
"Xelloss! And... LUNA? What are you two doing here?"  
  
"Mission. Gathering people," Luna explained.  
  
"Mission? From Ceiphied?"  
  
"Nope. Xelloss' and my mutual boss."  
  
Filia's eyebrow twitched. "You and this... this... FREAK share a boss?"  
  
"Yep," Luna said.  
  
Xelloss' smile twitched. "I wish you'd stop calling me that," he said.   
"Especially since we're supposed to be working together again. Our orders  
come from higher than either Ceiphied or Shabradnigo... they come from the  
Lord of Nightmares herself."  
  
"L-sama," Filia said, rolling her eyes skyward. "Why?"  
  
"C'mon, lets go," Luna suggested.  
  
Filia looked back into her house. "Um... I can't."  
  
"Oh?" Xelloss asked, feigning distress. "Don't tell me you're refusing an  
order from L-sama because you'd have to work with me again! I'm hurt!"  
  
Filia clucked her tongue. "Hey! I've got real reasons, too!" Xelloss  
opened an eye, smirking at her. She flushed. "I mean... look, Valgaav's  
not exactly at that point in her life when he should be left alone..."  
  
"Take 'im, too," Luna suggested. "S'ok- we'll look over him."  
  
"Take him? I don't know... I mean, he's still an egg. I don't want to  
risk letting him get hurt."  
  
"No problem!" Xelloss said enthusiastically. "Luna, why don't you gather  
the others together. I'll wait for you here, with her... alone... until  
you get everyone else. I don't think L-sama would mind if we gathered  
everyone here instead of in Femille..."  
  
"On second thought, maybe I'll go with you after all, Luna. I'd rather NOT  
be left alone with that fr... um, mazoku."  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, LINA!" Gourry cried.  
  
Lina, holding the piece of wood from the Holy Tree that she'd just  
purchased, looked around, trying to find him. Finally, she looked up. Her  
eyes widened. "Gourry? You got it to work?!"  
  
After getting into a huge fight with the teacher they'd hired (and very  
nearly frying him with a barrage of fireballs), they'd come to an  
understanding. The teacher refused to change his methods for teaching  
healing techniques, so Lina demanded that he move on to teaching the  
Levitation spell. Gourry was still trying to learn the healing spell,  
however- largely on his own, since Lina was too busy to do anything more  
than heal the wounds he made to practice with. She wasn't too happy with  
him choosing that method to learn the technique, but at least he was being  
safe about it and not making more than three cuts to practice on.  
  
Apparently, though, the instructor WAS able to teach him the Levitation  
spell, as he was now floating over her head.  
  
"Well... kind of. Um, I was able to get up, but I haven't figured out  
quite how to get back down, yet," Gourry admitted.  
  
Lina blinked. "You just disperse it, Gourry. You think the magic away,  
and it goes away."  
  
"You mean that if I pretend I'm not flying any more, I'll stop flying?"  
  
Lina hesitated. "Well... I can't say you're wrong, but that's not  
exactly... oh, never mind. Yes, just pretend you aren't flying any more."  
  
"Thanks, Lina!" he said enthusiastically, seconds before he came falling  
down in a crash.  
  
"Gourry!" Lina cried, running over to him. "Are you okay? That was a hard  
fall!"  
  
"Looks like I'll have to work on my landings," he said dazedly.  
  
Lina wasn't the only one who his crash-landing attracted. "Is everyone all  
right? What happened?" A familiar female voice called.  
  
"Amelia?" Lina said, amazed.  
  
Amelia, followed by Zelgadis, blinked upon seeing who it was they had  
rushed up to check on. "Lina? Gourry?" she asked.  
  
"Um, Lina?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Yeah, Gourry?"  
  
"Can I pass out now? My head hurts..." he asked, seconds before he did.  
  
"Gourry!" Lina shrieked. "*Restoration*" she cast.  
  
Amelia cupped her hands and quickly joined in. It didn't take too long to  
fix the damage, though Gourry was still passed out in the middle of the  
street when they finished.  
  
Zelgadis looked around at the crowd of rubberneckers they were drawing.   
"Perhaps we should move him somewhere safer... have you got a hotel room we  
can take him to?" he said, picking up the slumbering swordsman.  
  
"Um, yeah," she said, taking one of Gourry's arms. "It's three blocks down  
the street, then another block to the left... the Ciephied Arms."  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Let's go, then," he said, taking the other arm. "So  
what happened to him, anyway? It looked like he fell off of a building or  
something."  
  
"It's sort of a long story," Lina said. "I've sort of been trying to get  
him to learn a couple of very simple spells, to help make up for the loss  
of his Sword of Light. Just a few- Lighting, Levitation, and a healing  
spell. Lighting took him a week to learn when I was teaching him, but when  
we got here I was too busy to teach him anything else. I didn't trust the  
way the instructor we hired was trying to teach him the healing spell, so I  
had him concentrate on Levitation, and..."  
  
"And that was a result of one of Gourry's levitations, right?"  
  
Lina hesitated and nodded. "Actually, it was my fault. He didn't know how  
to land, and I don't think I made it clear that he was supposed to be  
touching the ground before he dispelled the spell."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "You're teaching GOURRY magic? I mean, isn't that  
dangerous? He's as likely to accidentally cast the Giga Slave as he is to  
get a Lighting spell right!"  
  
"Zelgadis!" Amelia admonished. "Gourry's not that bad! Besides, it's not  
fair to tease him like that when he isn't awake to defend himself."  
  
Zelgadis cringed slightly. "I'm sorry, Amelia. Still, even you have to  
admit he'll probably mess whatever spell he's casting up!"  
  
"I'm not teaching him anything dangerous, Zel," Lina said wearily. "I just  
had to do something... he was starting to question his usefulness to me  
because he didn't have his Sword of Light any more, and... well, that was  
the best I could come up with until I found him another good sword."  
  
"You could have just slept with him, you know," Zelgadis suggested  
coarsely. "Then you wouldn't have to maintain this charade that you keep  
him around to be your protector, and he wouldn't have to feel so inadequate  
when you get into fights that he can't resolve with a sword."  
  
"Hey!" Lina cried. "Stop it! Quit making rumors about us!"  
  
Amelia blinked, looking from the unconscious Gourry to Lina and back.   
"Say, Lina? What IS Gourry going to do in those fights you can't solve  
with a regular sword?"  
  
Lina blushed faintly. "Um... actually, I've got an idea, but please don't  
tell Gourry. It's supposed to be a surprise." Zelgadis and Amelia's eyes  
met, and then they both turned to Lina and nodded in agreement. "Well...  
see, I came here to Femille to study up on the making of magical weapons.   
I hope to build a NEW Sword of Light for him... hopefully, one as good as  
his old one."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "Lina... the original Sword of Light was made by Dark  
Star himself. I don't think you can duplicate it on your own... I mean,  
even if you got Ceiphied himself to help you with it, I'm not certain you  
could do it."  
  
Lina smiled. "I don't know about that. From what I've been reading, it  
seems plausible... I should at least be able to get it as good as the  
original was before Hellmaster unlocked it." She paused. "But only if I  
can find some very efficient and very powerful magical amplifiers that are  
small enough. Something like my talismen, only focusing primarily white  
magic instead of primarily black. Otherwise, I'm not sure I could make  
anything even close to it."  
  
"Good luck finding those," Zelgadis snorted. "Especially finding some you  
could afford. Didn't you spend several million on those talismen of  
yours?"  
  
Lina nodded. "I was sort of thinking I'd get Filia to help out... it's a  
long trip to find her, and I've still got a lot of research to do before I  
set out, but...."  
  
"But you're going anyway," Amelia finished. "Sounds like fun! Want us to  
come with you?"  
  
Lina looked over at the unconscious Gourry and then back at Amelia.   
"Well... Gourry's usually enough company by himself, but having you two  
along for a little while might help keep the journey from being a bit too  
monotonous. And he might appreciate having someone else around to help  
tutor him in magic- someone who DOESN'T use Fireballs as 'encouragement' to  
learn faster." She smiled guiltily.  
  
Zelgadis blinked at her. "Lina, when you learned magic, did your teachers  
Fireball YOU when you didn't learn fast enough?"  
  
Lina chuckled slightly. "Well, I only ever had one teacher, really, and  
that was my sister. She was a bit of a disciplinarian, you see, and...  
well... Gourry has it easy compared to what I went through."  
  
"Easy?" Amelia said, a little stunned.  
  
Lina nodded. "I can't use 'Resurrection' if I accidentally kill him, after  
all, since I never learned the spell. So, I HAVE to go relatively easy on  
him.... Relative to what big sis did, that is- she had to use Resurrection  
on me at least once a day, I think."  
  
Amelia looked at Lina in absolute shock. Zelgadis, on the other hand,  
merely frowned thoughtfully.  
  
"Hmm," he said. "No, I still think Rezo was the worst relative a person  
could ever have. At least your sister fixed you up afterwards... Rezo just  
laughed when I begged him to get rid of the curse he put me under."  
  
Amelia's horrified face turned to look at Zelgadis- though hearing about  
his tragedy again wasn't quite as surprising, since he'd told her that  
story before. Still, on the heels of Lina's story about the training she  
had to endure under her big sister....  
  
"And I thought MY family didn't get along well," she whispered, awed.  
  
*****  
  
"If you think you're going to take MY husband away for who knows HOW long a  
time without me, you're sadly mistaken," Martina proclaimed, her  
shell-shocked husband (he still wasn't quite used to having someone speak  
for him) looking on. "I am going with you as well... and I believe we'll  
take the Court Mage of the Royal House of Neo-Xoana, Vrumagum, as well."  
  
"Why not? The more, the merrier," Xelloss said, smiling.  
  
"Don't think you can use MY feelings and run off on me AGAIN, either, Mr.  
Mazoku!" she growled at him.  
  
Xelloss rubbed the back of his neck nervously as both Luna and Filia looked  
at him curiously. "Um... you were the one who ran off on ME, as I recall."  
  
"Only AFTER you turned out to be a mazoku!" Martina snapped. "You never  
should have become one!"  
  
Xelloss sweatdropped. "I didn't really have a choice in the matter...."  
  
Martina didn't hear him, choosing to rant instead. "I've heard all the  
stories! Mazoku seducing you to use your talents for their own purposes,  
and then betraying and murdering you! Your kind are totally heartless- I  
can't BELIEVE I was ever attracted to you!"  
  
Xelloss actually opened his eyes at that one, giving her a dangerous look.   
Martina suddenly realized that the mazoku in question wasn't exactly  
pleased with her, and swallowed. Even Filia looked a little surprised at  
the anger he was showing, though Luna was just smiling quietly to herself.  
  
"Look," he said angrilly, "Let me clear up a few myths for you. While it  
may be true that some of my kind DO use your kind in that way, it's NOT  
universally true. We mazoku DO have emotions of our own, you know- the  
same you do. We feel fear and courage, happiness and sadness, love, and  
hate and pain and pleasure, and all those other emotions you do. As it  
happens, my true form is even very similar to that of a normal humans! The  
only important thing that's different between you and me is that in  
addition to the normal essentials of life that humans need, I also feed off  
of the darker emotions which others feel. You may think of us mazoku as  
being evil, but that's not necessarily true. In my case, I was a slave to  
my masters' will- I didn't even have enough control of my own body to stop  
myself if they ordered me to do something I personally disagreed with. If  
I was ordered to mercilessly destroy the Dragon Armies, I was not able to  
stop myself from destroying them. It was a war at the time, and so I  
didn't have many qualms about that. But when I had to destroy the injured,  
I fought against myself to save them... and lost." He paused. "I found a  
way to spare a couple of dragons, one time... a mother and her egg. They  
were civilians, and I was able to interpret my orders in such a way that  
let me save them, but that was the greatest bit of mercy I was able to  
extend. Now, however... now, thanks to this mission, I am free. And I  
don't particularly like being insulted for no reason beyond just being born  
a mazoku."  
  
"Xelloss?" Filia said, astounded. She hadn't heard that about him before-  
it didn't let her forgive him for the massacres of her fellow Dragons a  
millenia before, but if he'd actually fought to save some of her kin in  
that same war then perhaps she had misjudged him... and probably for the  
same reason Martina had been so upset- because he was a mazoku.  
  
He nodded to her. "You have a right to insult me," he admitted. "It was  
your aunts and uncles and cousins and other relatives that I was killing,  
back them, but Martina doesn't." His eyes closed again as his face changed  
to show a somewhat embarrassed expression. "I do apologize for the  
outburst, though... I really shouldn't let things like that upset me that  
much, should I?"  
  
Luna nodded. "'Nuff chat. Let's go."  
  
Martina, recovering from Xelloss' verbal assault, coughed. "Ahem... I'm  
afraid we'll have to delay here for a while. It will take us some time to  
pack for the trip, and I sent my husband's sword away to have its sheath  
cleaned and its hilt adorned with the seal of Zoamalgustar. It will take a  
few days before we'll be ready to depart..."  
  
"Very well," Xelloss said. "We can wait until you get the sword back- I  
wasn't told that we were in any desperate hurry."  
  
"Um... don't I get some say in this?" Zangulus asked.  
  
"Of course not, dear," Martina answered him before turning her attention  
back to the others. "Now, should we set you up in the palace guest suites,  
or will you be finding your own accomodations?"  
  
Filia looked around at the hastily erected wooden shack which served as the  
temporary palace for the kingdom of Neo-Xoana. "This place HAS guest  
suites?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"Not yet," Martina said.  
  
"What does 'not yet' mean?"  
  
"It means we can have some built for you, if necessary," Zangulus  
deadpanned. "It'll take about two hours for us to complete the floor,  
cieling, and walls, and another hour to put in futons and bedding, so you'd  
better let us know now."  
  
"My, that sounds delightful," Xellos chirped, amusement in his voice. "I  
believe I'll take a guest suite."  
  
Filia stared at him. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
Even Luna seemed uncomfortable with the idea. "You do that. I'll sleep  
elsewhere," she informed.  
  
Xelloss sighed in amusement. "Well, it looks like we'll be splitting up.   
Someone go untie Naga and ask her if she wants to stay here or move on to a  
separate establishment. It better be you, Luna, since you're the only one  
who can remove that Mute spell."  
  
"OOOOH HO HO HO HO!" Naga's laughter rang through the room. "No need- I  
freed myself a while ago. I must say, Miss Martina, I just LOVE your  
fashion sense."  
  
Luna was stunned. "How..."  
  
"Really?" Martina said. "I had the HARDEST time finding a material which  
would hold up to everyday use and still maintain this fabulous degree of  
support. I am impressed with your outfit, as well- how DOES it hold  
together?"  
  
"I believe there's this magical enchantment which enhances the strength of  
the leather..." Naga explained.  
  
"Um, excuse me," Luna said, breaking her usually unflappable exterior with  
the shock of Naga's appearance. "But... what about my Mute spell?"  
  
"Oh, that?" Naga said. "I just kept laughing until it overloaded and the  
spell shattered. It held fast for an impressive length of time, however-  
you should be proud."  
  
Luna sweatdropped.  
  
-------------------------  
  
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Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee   
fanfics available at   
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	3. Default Chapter Title

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Chapter 3: A Forced Retreat  
...In Which the Enemy is Met  
  
Zelas Metallium stood before the other leaders of the Mazoku, trying to  
make the others see her point. The others consisted of way too few for her  
liking- along with her were the two other surviving vassals of Shabradnigo,  
and no more than a half-dozen priests and generals that lead the real  
force. Xelloss' sudden resignation from her services- something which had  
downright shocked her- had weakened their strength even more. If it had  
not been for the destruction of almost the entire race of Golden Dragons a  
few months beforehand, the Mazoku would be in serious trouble. For the  
moment, however, they still had the upper hand in their war. And this  
council was in session to figure out how to KEEP the upper hand.  
  
"I realize that most of you are reluctant to take any form of direct action  
against humanity, but this is not a case where we can sit out. Not  
fighting now might be a fatal mistake. Besides, this would NOT be an  
all-out war, just a minor conflict. Furthermore, the three surviving  
Dragon Lords would not involve themselves in a conflict involving just a  
few dozen humans and one single dragon. It must take something VERY large  
to draw them out, now- even the entrance of Dark Star into the world, which  
resulted in our temporary truce, didn't get them to move. But if we move  
our entire force, however, they might panic and strike against us."  
  
"We will have to pick our targets very carefully," Dynast noted. "'A few  
dozen' may be too many. Who, specifically, should we strike against?"  
  
Zelas smiled. "Well, of course the answer to that is simple. Lina Inverse  
must be punished for destroying both a part of Shabradnigo and Hellmaster,  
and revenge against her would be the perfect excuse while we pursue our  
TRUE target. What she did to Dark Star should not be ignored, either-  
while we were with her in that battle, we still should not forget that she,  
a mere human, was the one who defeated Dark Star- her powers boosted by  
others or not. A human of that strength should not be allowed to live.   
And if several of her companions get in the way- like the former swordsman  
of light- well, too bad for them."  
  
Many smirks showed amoung the faces of those present. Dynast had one more  
question. "And the dragon? Which dragon are we targeting?"  
  
Zelas laughed. "Well, we'd really be killing two dragons with one blow.   
Filia, the last of the Golden Dragons, must be destroyed." Her eyes  
narrowed. "And she must be destroyed NOW, before she can bring Valgaav, a  
member of the Ancient Dragon race, to maturity. Valgaav could EASILY shift  
the balance of power in their favor, with no problem. For our own  
survival, two Dragon races must be obliterated."  
  
*****  
  
"*Flare Arrow!*"  
  
A two-inch long needle-thin spark of magic, glowing pink, formed, and,  
after a few seconds delay, slowly moved along the fifty meter stretch  
between the wielder's hands and the target.  
  
Lina twitched. "Pink? Gourry, I don't even WANT to know how you managed  
to turn magic that color, but that's not even CLOSE to how that spell's  
supposed to go. Now remember, when you're just learning a spell like this  
you're going to HAVE to recite the words slowly, and fo-"  
  
She was cut off when the pink needle of energy hit the bullseye. The  
resulting explosion, which completely obliterated the target (and  
everything another fifty yards behind said target) shook the ground so hard  
she was knocked off her feet, tumbling into him as he bent over to cover  
her from the debris. Usually, it wouldn't have been a bad way to fall, but  
unfortunately her head collided with the hard steel of his shoulder armor.  
  
"Ouch!" she hissed.  
  
"Lina! Are you all right?" he asked hurriedly, hoping desperately that she  
wasn't hurt seriously.  
  
"Yeah... just bumped my head," she replied, wincing. She smiled up at him  
through the pain. "If you want, you could try a healing spell again. I  
think you almost got it right last time."  
  
Gourry shook his head. "You'd better do it. Besides, I want to know what  
I did wrong with that Flare Arrow before I move on to learning that healing  
spell."  
  
Lina looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Gourry... that spell you just  
cast looked like the wimpiest attack spell I've ever seen, and it travelled  
so slow that I would have been able to cast a Giga Slave after it left your  
hands, and STILL have time to get out of the way... but that's a damn good  
attack spell, if your opponent isn't moving much. Think you can do the  
same thing again?"  
  
Gourry blinked. "Uh... maybe."  
  
Lina gestured loosely in the direction of the now incinerated target range.  
"Try."  
  
He closed his eyes, gathered the power into his hands, and started chanting  
under his breath. He stopped, snapped his eyes open, and cried out two  
final words. "*Flare Arrow!*" he cast.  
  
Again, a pink needle appeared, and started moving towards the forest behind  
the one-time target range. About a minute later, the explosion rocked the  
ground beneath them, and another large tract of once-ancient forest was  
obliterated.  
  
Lina nodded. "It's not a Flare Arrow, really, but it's a damn good  
original spell. Don't ever forget it, 'kay? If you do, expect a Dragon  
Slave down your throat."  
  
Gourry sweatdropped. "Uh... right."  
  
While Lina hadn't initially planned to have him learn any attack spells,  
Gourry had mastered the levitation spell much faster than she'd expected  
(thanks in part to Zelgadis and Amelia helping him while she continued her  
'research') and they still had several days prepaid for the instructor that  
they'd hired. Still not comfortable with said instructors methods for  
teaching healing techniques, Lina suggested Gourry learn something else.   
The instructor, knowing of the lifestyle that they lead, figured a simple  
attack spell might be rather useful for him. The final lesson was over,  
and Gourry was showing what he'd learned in a hastilly erected target  
facility about three hours outside of Femille- Amelia didn't want Gourry to  
accidentally hit anyone.  
  
Amelia and Zelgadis, who had been watching from a safely entrenched  
magically-protected bunker, emerged and approached Gourry.  
  
"That has to be one of the stupidest looking attack I've ever seen...  
pretty powerful, though," Zelgadis commented.  
  
"Congradulations, Gourry!" Amelia cheered. "That was impressive... even if  
it didn't quite act like it was supposed to."  
  
Lina nodded. "Now all we need is to find you a sword... and maybe get your  
healing spell working."  
  
"Gourry doesn't have a sword?" an unexpected voice arose, it's owner  
obscured from view by the bunker. "I was hoping to have a sparring match  
with him, but I guess that's not possible at the moment, is it?"  
  
Lina's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as said owner rounded the  
corner of the bunker to approach the foursome. "Zangulus?!" she squeaked  
incredulously. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, I was just dragged along (against my will) by several of your  
friends and associates in an attempt to find you, actually," he said.   
"They're right behind me."  
  
"Long time, no see, Lina!" Martina shouted, following her husband into the  
clearing and grabbing hold of his arm.  
  
Vrumagum approached behind Martina and bowed. "It will be nice to work  
with you in person, this time, and not to work against you through copies  
of myself."  
  
Xelloss phased in on top of the bunker. "Hello, Lina. Did you miss me?"  
  
"I don't know why I was dragged along to work with that piece of raw  
garbage again, but it's nice to see you, Lina," Filia said as she, too,  
teleported in, holding the egg of Valgaav.  
  
"Gourry, it's been so long," Sylphiel said softly, announcing her presence.  
  
"Martina... Vrumagum... Xelloss... Filia... SYLPHIEL?" Lina cried,  
startled. "What are all of you doing here?"  
  
"Oh, we aren't the only ones you'd be surprised to see," Xelloss said.   
"Though why those other two haven't shown up yet, I don't know." He  
blinked. "Oh, never mind- there they are."  
  
Lina felt someone tapping her on the shoulder and spun around. "Hi!" Luna  
greeted.  
  
Lina fell backwards, her eyes now taking up most of her face, and started  
pushing herself away from the new arrival. "B- B- B- B- BIG SIS!" she  
cried in shock. As she slid back, she ran into the legs of someone else.  
  
"Well, hello, my trusty sidekick. It's been a while since you've faced me,  
your greatest rival. OOOOH HO HO HO HO HO!"  
  
Shocked added onto shock for Lina. "Na- Na- Na- NAGA!"  
  
Gourry scratched his head in confusion. "Um... I don't recognize half of  
these people. Who is everyone?"  
  
Zelgadis just rolled his eyes and walked over to Xelloss. "Excuse me,  
but... what's going on?"  
  
Xelloss smirked at him. "That... is a secret. For now, at any rate." His  
smirk left his face. "Actually, even I'm not entirely sure- I haven't been  
told WHY I was supposed to gather all of these people. I was just told to  
do so."  
  
Amelia, meanwhile, was experiencing a form of shock of her own. "Gracia?   
Is it you?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
It was then, for the first time, that Naga started to notice the presence  
of people other than Lina. "Amelia?" she said, stunned. "You and Lina  
know each other?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "We've worked together a lot to further the cause of  
justice!" she explained enthusiastically.  
  
Naga twitched. "You sound just like dad, you know?"  
  
Amelia smiled. "Thanks, sis!"  
  
"SIS!?" Lina cried, still very nerve-wracked.  
  
"That wasn't a compliment, Amelia," Naga sighed.  
  
Luna walked over to her sister and gave her a hand up. "Surprised?"  
  
Lina looked over at her sister and blinked. "Okay, let's see. Xelloss is  
here, Naga's here, YOU'RE here, AMELIA AND NAGA ARE SISTERS! Which, of  
course, means that NAGA'S A PRINCESS OF SAILOON! Why WOULD I be  
surprised?"  
  
Luna smirked, and patted Lina on the head. The younger sibling twitched.   
"Poor sis," the elder sibling said.  
  
Gourry approached them. "Lina, what's going on? Who are all these  
people?" Lina said nothing, twitching from time to time. "Lina?" he  
repeated, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. She still  
didn't say anything.  
  
"Look, slugs!" Luna said loudly.  
  
Lina screeched. "SLUUUGS!" She nearly tackled Gourry, burying herself in  
his chest. "Keepthemawaykeepthemawaykeepthemawaykeepthemaway..."  
  
Once Gourry had recovered his equilibrium, he awkwardly pulled one of his  
arms out of her grasp and used it to pat her on the back comfortingly.   
"Calm down, Lina," he said soothingly. "There aren't any slugs. Someone  
was playing a trick on you."  
  
Lina lifted her tear-filled face to look up at him. "No slugs?"  
  
Gourry shook his head and smiled. "No... no slugs."  
  
Weakly, Lina stepped out of his grasp and took a deep breath to calm  
herself down. After sorting things out, she turned to her sister with a  
very aggrieved expression on her face. "Luna, did you HAVE to do that?"  
  
"Payback," Luna explained. "Even, now."  
  
"Um, Lina," Gourry said. "Who is this, and what's going on?"  
  
Lina sighed. "Right... Gourry, meet Luna Inverse, the Knight of  
Ceiphied... and my older sister."  
  
Gourry blinked. He looked at Luna closely. He turned to look back at  
Lina, then went back to Luna- concentrating on her bust. Luna's expression  
didn't falter, though a small drop of sweat betrayed her uncertainty over  
his examination. Finally, Gourry stepped back, shaking his head. "That's  
odd... you two look nothing alike. And I would have thought your sister  
would be just as flat chested as you are!" he explained.  
  
Lina's eyes widened angrilly. How could he say something like that-  
especially in front of her SISTER! "*Fireball!*" she cast, blowing Gourry  
half-way across the field with her spell and knocking him out.  
  
Luna chuckled, and wagged a finger at her sister. "Temper, temper!"  
  
Lina opened her mouth to issue a loud protest, then snapped it shut when  
she remembered who she was talking to. "He deserved it," she mumbled  
instead.  
  
Meanwhile, the other pair of reunited sisters were also getting  
reaquainted.  
  
"So why is Lina calling you Naga, Gracia?" Amelia asked.  
  
"'Gracia' doesn't fit me, any more, Amelia. I'm no longer the proper,  
gracious, peace-loving princess I was- I'm the White Serpent, Naga, the  
greatest sorceress in history!" Naga explained. "And with the powers given  
me by my self-confident laughter and my incredible figure, enhanced by this  
outfit which I found in our late mother's closet, I will rule the world!"  
  
Amelia might have said something about that 'take over the world bit,' but  
something Naga said made her turn a little green. "That outfit was mom's?"  
  
Naga nodded. "I took it when I left... it was the one thing of hers that I  
was able to stand to look at after her death. I never saw her wear it, so  
I wouldn't be reminded of her too much, but it was HERS and I knew it was  
hers, so I could honor her memory by wearing it myself."  
  
Amelia nodded. She found it hard to believe her mother ever wore anything  
like that, but wouldn't try and convince her sister otherwise- obviously,  
that outfit had been a great comfort to her. "What happened that night?"  
  
Naga hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure. I walked in... saw all the  
blood... I think I cast some spell, though I don't know what it was. All I  
remember is afterwards, knowing mom was dead, and finding myself in her  
walk-in wardrobe closet. I took this outfit and left... I didn't WANT to  
be a princess any more. I quit using the white magic that was the symbol  
of Sailoon, I abandoned father's drive for justice, and I dropped the name  
of Gracia. I became Naga, the White Serpent, mercenary sorceress and  
future ruler of the world."  
  
Amelia sniffed. "Oh, Gracia... you've been through so much." Without any  
more warning than that, she glomped her sister into an over-enthusiastic  
comforting hug, and started bawling. "But don't worry! It's all over now-  
we're together again, and no-one will be hurting us again! You can become  
Princess Gracia once more! We'll reteach you white magic! Justice will  
once more enter your heart! You'll no longer have to rely on the earnings  
of being a mercenary sorceress!"  
  
"Um, Amelia," Naga said, returning the hug awkwardly. "I actually LIKE  
being Naga. I don't want to be Princess Gracia any more." She paused.   
"But I would like to be able to see daddy again. Even if he DOES get  
carried away with all that justice stuff."  
  
Zelgadis approached the hugging pair. "Xelloss said you were Amelia's  
sister," he said, ignoring the moment that they were sharing. "The hair's  
the right color, but I really don't see the resemblance, otherwise."  
  
Amelia smiled up at him, wiping the tears off of her face. "Zelgadis, I'd  
like to introduce you to Gracia Ul Naga Sailoon, my sister."  
  
Naga shook her head, reassuming her arrogant demeaner. "Call me Naga.   
Naga the White Serpent. My, you have such interesting skin!"  
  
Zelgadis winced. "It's a curse. I was turned into a chimera."  
  
Naga raised an eyebrow. "A chimera? OOOH HO HO HO HO HO! Why, that  
reminds me of the time that silly old man tried to turn Lina into a  
chimera! It would have made her SO beautiful... and so much FUN, as well.   
Lina, a demon, a dragon, and a serpent all put together! The ultimate  
combination of the three major races!"  
  
Zelgadis twitched. "You think being turned into a chimera would be FUN!?"  
he cried angrilly.  
  
Naga looked at him and blinked. "Of course- why wouldn't it?"  
  
Amelia looked from her sister to Zelgadis and back. "Um, Gracia...  
Zelgadis is a little sensitive about the chimera thing..."  
  
"Is he, know? Well good, good! Now I know his greatest weakness! OOOH HO  
HO HO HO HO HO!"  
  
Zelgadis hand went to his sword, causing Amelia to jump between the two of  
them. Grabbing the chimera's hands, she held on for dear life. "Please,  
Zel- remember she's my sister! Don't kill her!"  
  
Filia, standing next to Xelloss, looked over at him in annoyance. "You're  
just loving all this chaos, aren't you?"  
  
He smiled at her. "Of course I am! I'm a mazoku- I feast on emotions such  
as those being generated right now. And, you might not like it, but this  
is probably good for them- they'll need this release. I feed off of anger,  
greed, lust, and such dark emotions. The thing is, though, dark emotions  
aren't always wrong. Anger can be forged into a powerful tool, greed can  
work with a human's survival instinct to keep them alive... and you'd  
hardly fault a married couple for lusting after each other as well, can  
you?" He pointed to Martina and Zangulus, who had taken advantage of the  
confusion everyone was feeling to start making out.  
  
Filia blushed, looking at the other people they had gathered. "Well, at  
least there are a FEW people here who aren't feeling any dark emotions."  
  
Xelloss opened one eye to look at her with amusement. "Oh? Who do you  
believe those are?"  
  
"That girl right there... and that Court Magician for Neo-Xoana."  
  
Xelloss laughed. "Interesting. You're wrong of course." Filia turned on  
him angrilly, gritting her teeth. "In fact, they're probably wielding dark  
emotions in the most dangerous of ways."  
  
"Oh? And just what dark emotions are they using, hmm? They certainly  
don't SEEM to be feeling anything dark- the girl looks very happy, and that  
sorcerer appears quite calm."  
  
Xelloss paused, as if searching the emotions out himself. "The girl- her  
name is Sylphiel, by the way- nice girl, you'll love her- Sylphiel has a  
few issues to sort out. She's set her sights on a man who is totally out  
of her reach, and is lusting after him quite fiercely. At the moment,  
these emotions haven't lead to any actions which might appear evil, but her  
lust is almost obsessive at this point. I don't know how she'd react if  
she knew her man was taken by another."  
  
Filia raised an eyebrow. "Who is it that she's lusting after?"  
  
"It's no secret, I suppose," Xelloss considered. "It's pretty obvious,  
when you see them together. Sylphiel has had a crush on Gourry since he  
was first journeying on his own. The poor swordsman has yet to notice it,  
of course- he barely notices his own attraction to Lina."  
  
Filia blinked. "Perhaps... perhaps it would be best if we convince Gourry  
to give up Lina for Sylphiel. Lina doesn't seem to care about whether  
Gourry is with her or not- I noticed she wasn't too upset when he was  
paired with Amelia during that whole fake 'Temple of Marraige' thing."  
  
Xelloss raised an eyebrow. "And you think I'M evil- that's a more evil  
plan than any Mazoku plan I can recall. No, I'm afraid that won't work- it  
would be incredibly dangerous, as a matter of fact. Unless, of course, you  
want Lina dead...."  
  
"What do you mean by THAT?" Filia blurted.  
  
"Well, see, THAT," he started, raising a finger. "Is a secr-"  
  
He stopped mid-sentence, grabbed her quickly, and teleported the both of  
them out of the way. Seconds later, a massive explosion rocked the entire  
field in which they had all gathered. When he phased back in, he looked  
around for the source of the attack.  
  
"M... Mistress Zelas?!" he cried, startled.  
  
Zelas floated down to Earth, smiling at him. "Well, well- this seems  
interesting. I knew you had been recalled, but I had no idea it would be  
to ally yourself to our enemies."  
  
"It appears so," Xelloss said hesitantly. "Though honestly, I was not  
given orders for this situation. I'm merely supposed to keep these people  
alive until the Lord of Nightmares gives me further instructions. It's  
entirely possible that I may be able to join you again at a later date, but  
if you insist on attacking now I'm afraid I'll have to fight you." As he  
talked, the others started circling around the newly arrived Mazoku,  
getting ready for combat.  
  
Zelas laughed. "You expect me, the Beastmaster, to get directly involved  
in the combat this early in the game? Did you learn nothing about me in  
your service, my son?"  
  
Xelloss nodded. "Of course I did. I learned that you usually attack first  
with your lesser demons, then send me in for the kill. But I'm not with  
you any more, and you might decide to not do what you USUALLY do, so how am  
I to know?"  
  
"Well reasoned, son. But no, I'm not breaking with that particular  
tradition... today, at least. My surprise attack obviously failed, so it  
would do no harm to let you know the attack is coming soon," she admitted.   
"I'll make a deal with you, though- if you happen to survive this incident  
despite my eventual victory, I'll allow you back into the fold, with no  
punishment at all. I swear it."  
  
Xelloss smiled. "That's quite generous of you, mother. I'll make the same  
deal with YOU- if we are pitted against each other, and you survive despite  
OUR victory, I'll allow you to join ME... as MY servant."  
  
Zelas raised an eyebrow. "That's a trifle arrogant of you, don't you  
think?"  
  
Xelloss shrugged. "If I pull off such a tremendous upset, don't I DESERVE  
to be arrogant?"  
  
Zelas laughed. "Indeed, you would. Then BOTH our destinies are about to  
be decided, aren't they?" Her laughter continued as she faded from the  
field.  
  
Lina, who had positioned herself and Gourry at Xelloss' flank, looked  
confused. "Xelloss, what's going on? Why are you literally fighting your  
master? How are you ABLE to defy Zelas, anyway?"  
  
Xelloss sighed. "It's a long story. Ask me again after we get through the  
coming battle." He paused. "Lesser demons, coming in. Mostly  
concentrating on you and Filia, it seems."  
  
Lina nodded, getting ready to cast her spells. Thinking briefly, she drew  
her sword and handed it to Gourry.  
  
"Use this," she said. "It's no Sword of Light, but it should keep you from  
getting killed. I placed a few enchantments on it to make it somewhat more  
effective, but don't go up against any upper-level Mazoku with it."  
  
He nodded. "Right," he said in a clipped tone. Lina almost smiled- that  
was the first time she'd seen him in his 'fighting mood' since they  
defeated Dark Star. He glanced to the other side of him, where Luna was  
drawing a dangerous looking sword of her own. He frowned. "Aren't you a  
magic user?" he asked her.  
  
"Yep," she said.  
  
"But you're going to fight with just a sword?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Gourry," Lina interrupted. "Luna doesn't use her magic offensively. She  
DOES use it to make magical weapons and shields, however." She paused.   
"She's not as good with a sword as you are, but her magical abilities make  
her better than the both of us put together."  
  
Luna smirked at the compliment. "Not really."  
  
Lina sighed. "At any rate, she's a swordsman, just like you, but she's  
'magically enhanced' to be better than any normal swordsman could be."  
  
"Is that why you kept asking for the Sword of Light all the time?" he  
asked. "Lina, if you you wanted a present for your sister, you should have  
told me- I'd have found something else for you to give her!"  
  
Lina rolled her eyes. "No, Gourry, that's NOT why I wanted the Sword of  
Light- I wanted it because- *Fireball!*" She was unable to finish her  
explanation, as at that moment a dozen lesser demons emerged from the trees  
in front of them.  
  
The fireball took out the lead Mazoku, but several more charged in before  
she had a chance to cast another spell. She leapt into the air and flipped  
out of the way to give herself more time to deal with the next one, and  
landed just in time to see two separate swords tearing the second demon  
into three peices- all of them equally dead.  
  
"See, sis," Luna said, allowing one of her enemies' attacks to hit her  
magical defensive field before reversing the turn of her blade to tear off  
its head. "This is why I said you should use weapons as your main offense-  
it's faster to swing a sword than it is to cast a spell."  
  
"*Elmekia Lance!*" Lina cast, fricasseeing another Mazoku. "I don't thing  
we have time to debate the point, Luna."  
  
The Mazoku who had attacked Lina were only a small portion of the attacking  
forces. Trolls, ogres, goblins, berserkers, and other lesser demons had  
surrounded the small party, and were attacking on all sides. By the time  
Lina had cast her Elmekia Lance, there were hundreds of these creatures  
attacking- concentrating largely on Lina's and Filia's locations.  
  
"*Rah Tilt!*" Amelia and Zelgadis chorused. Their never-rehearsed but  
always well-co-ordinated double attack didn't fail them, and the explosion  
knocked several of their attackers off their feet, sending a few out of the  
action.  
  
"*Freeze Arrow!*" Naga cast, freezing one of the attacking berserkers in  
his tracks. "OOOH HO HO HO HO HO! I see you followed in my footsteps and  
became a powerful sorceress, too, little sister!"  
  
"*Diem Wing!*" Amelia cast, clearing a path for Zelgadis to charge in with  
his sword, which was glowing red from an Astral Vine he had cast on it  
earlier. "I'm still learning... travelling with Lina's given me a lot of  
experience, though."  
  
"Whee! This is fun!" Xelloss said, casually batting away one of the  
goblins with his staff.  
  
"FUN?!" Filia cried, breathing hard as she brought her mace down on the  
head of an ogre with a sickening crunch. "You've GOT to be kidding me!"  
  
Xelloss shrugged. "Hey- I don't usually get to fight such wimps. My  
orders rarely allowed it. It's fun having a light workout like this after  
a thousand years of having to battle some of the more powerful fighters in  
all of existance." He smiled up at her. "You look tired- why don't you  
take a rest? Don't worry- I'll protect you!"  
  
Filia bristled angrilly, her tail popping out from under her dress. "WHAT?  
Me, just step aside and let YOU protect me? You've got to be kidding!"   
With that, she redoubled her attack, determined to not give him any more  
reason to even consider that.  
  
"Don't lose control of your form!" he warned on a much more serious note.   
"If you wear your dragon shape, they'll have a lot easier time fighting  
you. You dragons are too big to fight a defensive battle- you make too big  
a target. You're fine on offense, but we're not ON the offense, right  
now."  
  
Filia calmed down slightly. "Um... thanks."  
  
In the center of the circle formed by the eight main combatants, Zangulus  
and Vrumagum stood protecting Martina and Sylphiel from any of the  
marauders who succeeded in making their way through. Martina looked at the  
shrine maiden nervously. "Can't you do something?" she asked. "You WERE  
helping us in the fight against Hellmaster!"  
  
Sylphiel hesitated. "Well... I'd be better off waiting until the battle is  
over, and using my healing abilities."  
  
Martina's wild eyes looked into hers as a ogre was tossed over her head by  
a blow from Xelloss' staff. "Please! You HAVE to be able to do  
something!"  
  
"Um... well, the Dragon Slave's out- I'd hurt more than help with that.   
There's a couple things I could try, though, I guess," she said hesitantly.  
Summoning her magic to her hands, she picked out a target. Getting a  
determined look on her face, she cast her spell."*Flare arrow!*" she cast.  
  
A tiny red carrot started floating over and smacked one of the lesser  
demons on the back of the head. The blow didn't really hurt the Mazoku,  
but it startled the creature a little, allowing Luna to cut it down.  
  
Sylphiel blushed, and returned to the protected center with Martina, very  
embarrassed. "There. I helped. Um, I think that's enough for me for now.  
I'll save up my energy to heal everyone when the battle's over."  
  
Gourry stumbled to his knees in front of Lina, coated in the black and  
green colored blood of their enemies. Lina was a little anxious to note  
that there were some red stains on his clothing, as well. "Lina," he  
gasped. "It's too much- for every one I kill, more show up."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "You giving up on me, Gourry?"  
  
He shook his head, lifting himself to his feet through sheer force of will.  
"No, but maybe it's time for you to start using your bigger spells- like  
the Dragon Slave or something like that."  
  
Lina couldn't help but notice how hard it had been for him to stand.   
They'd been fighting for nearly an hours straight, and they'd been fighting  
against VERY tough opponents. If these people had been those idiotic  
bounty hunters who tried to capture them thanks to Copy Rezo and Eris'  
reward offer, they'd have been fine- but these were lesser Mazoku, and they  
hadn't even had a brief pause in which they could rest. In fact, the  
battle was more taxing than the ones they'd had against Valgaav and  
Darkstar- and what was worse was that there was no end in sight. The  
number of attackers had been growing the entire time they'd been fighting,  
and it didn't look like they'd be stopping any time soon.  
  
Also, she had to consider Gourry's shape in all of this. He was fighting  
at his best, but without the Sword of Light- or at least without a nice  
longsword that he was comfortable using- he wasn't nearly as good as the  
rest of them. He'd push himself twice as hard to succeed, but just looking  
at him showed that it was obvious he couldn't compete with just a lightly  
enchanted short sword. He needed this battle to end more than anyone.  
  
"Right. Okay, people- change of plan!" she shouted. "Everyone, get as  
close together as possible. Xelloss, Luna, Filia- erect a shield spell  
around us. Sylphiel... I'm going to cast a Dragon Slave on this side- you  
cast one on that side. Zel, Amelia, Vrumagum, and anyone else who can do  
so, cast a Raywing or Levitation spell and get us airborn! Anyone else...  
well, be ready to fight again if this doesn't work."  
  
"Check!" Luna called, fighting her way back towards the center- she'd been  
moving further out as the battle progressed, and so it took her a bit to  
return.  
  
"But I was having fun!" Xelloss protested.  
  
"Come ON, you piece of raw garbage!" Filia screamed, grabbing him by the  
collar of his priest's robes and dragging him towards the center. "Let's  
get this over with!"  
  
"Gracia!" Amelia called. "Help me cover Zelgadis' retreat!"  
  
Zelgadis had also been dragged off in the fighting, but he wasn't nearly as  
capable as Luna was of retreating to the center. He was fighting a very  
defensive battle, and was being pushed away by the onslaught.  
  
Naga laughed. "OOOH, HO, HO, HO, HO! Of course, sister! These creatures  
cannot stand up to the might of Naga the White Serpent! *Diem Wing!*"  
  
"*Diem Wing!*" Amelia echoed, widening the path for Zelgadis to run  
through. "Come on, Zel! HURRY!" she cried.  
  
Zelgadis took one more swat at a Berserker before breaking into a dead run  
to reach the rest of them. Blasting a couple of trolls out of his way with  
a Rah Tilt and slashing through one last Mazoku, he reached the others.  
  
The company assembled, they got into formation. The attackers surrounded  
them, banging against the hastily erected shield spells that Filia,  
Xelloss, and Luna were powering.  
  
"Hurry up, Lina," Xelloss said. "We can't hold this up too long."  
  
He didn't need to ask. "...Possess. *DRAGON SLAVE!*" she cast, using her  
talismen to boost the power. A second later, Sylphiel echoed her with a  
Dragon Slave of her own.  
  
When the dust settled, the battlefield looked clear. Nothing was moving  
outside of the circle that was protecting the twelve of them.  
  
"Oh, darn," a sarcastic voice said. A few seconds later, Zelas appeared to  
show herself as being the owner of said voice. "You've beaten my army.   
No, wait- that wasn't my army. That was a small number of my toys." She  
smirked. "Well, looks like I'll have to actually add my force to this  
conflict. Not right away, though- I mean, I'm not really here, and haven't  
been all day. I just contacted all of the Beasts under my control in your  
area, and asked them to tire you out for a bit."  
  
Xelloss smiled up at her. "I thought that was too easy," he said.  
  
"I always knew you were a smart boy," she said. "Looks like I'll have to  
take your charges seriously, after all. I'll see you when this war's  
over!" With that, she faded away.  
  
Gourry, being healed by both Sylphiel and Lina, looked up at Xelloss.   
"Does this mean it isn't over?"  
  
"Afraid not," he answered.  
  
Gourry's reaction was a testament to how incredibly worn he was. He  
sighed, looked over at Lina, and said, "I don't think I can handle this  
one." Seconds later, he passed out.  
  
"Gourry!" both girls treating him cried as he fell into Lina's arms.  
  
Xelloss looked at his unconscious form dispassionately. "Lina, carry him  
with you. We have to find somewhere safe to recover, then decide what  
we're going to do."  
  
Lina nodded, putting one of Gourry's arms over her shoulders. "Femille's  
relatively close."  
  
"Let's go, then," he said.  
  
Amelia looked concerned as Lina carried Gourry away. "You know, I think  
that's the first time I've seen Gourry that tired."  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "This wasn't a normal battle, that's for sure. I guess  
this is a victory for us, but it feels like we were forced to retreat." He  
sighed. "Looks like we got dragged along on another of Lina's adventures,  
doesn't it?"  
  
Amelia smiled. "Yeah... but we've always made it before, right? And  
always came away with a tremendous victory for justice, as well!"  
  
Naga groaned. "Amelia?" she said, using the same tone of voice she used  
when she was telling her story.  
  
"Yes, Gracia?"  
  
"Remember, sis, it's Naga now," she said haughtily. Returning to her  
sisterly voice, she continued, "Wherever we go after we rest up in  
Femille... let's not make it Sailoon, okay?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Let's just say that you just reminded me of one of the bigger reasons I  
never went back home."  
  
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desaix@sysnet.net  
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee   
fanfics available at   
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	4. Default Chapter Title

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Chapter 4: Gourry's Plan  
...In Which Things Are Discussed, Some Secrets Are Revealed, a Council of  
War is Formed, and Gourry Shows Intelligence  
MILD LIME  
  
"How's Gourry?" Lina and Sylphiel both asked as a healer came out of the  
rented room they'd placed him in.  
  
"Well, physically, he's fine. I had to cast a triple strength sleep spell  
on him, though. The blood of those ogres can be mildly poisonous, and he  
seems to have ingested some of it during your battle, but he'll recover  
completely if he gets enough rest." He paused, looking between the two  
girls. "Which one of you two is Lina?"  
  
Lina hesitantly raised her hand. "I am."  
  
The healer nodded, and handed her a freshly cleaned short sword. "Before I  
put Mr. Gabriev under, he told me to give this to you, and to apologize for  
having chipped the blade."  
  
Lina looked at her sword. Just as the healer said, there was a small chip  
out of the blade. Very small- she wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't  
been looking for it. She sighed. "We're going to HAVE to get him  
something better. He would never have chipped the Sword of Light."  
  
Sylphiel looked at Lina with reproach. "How can you be so cold?!" she  
demanded, using the same tone of voice she had when she accused Lina of  
having stolen the Sword of Light and tossing Gourry into a river.  
  
Lina smiled, sheathing her sword. "I'm not being cold. I'm relieved- if  
Gourry hadn't apologized for knicking the blade, I would have been  
worried." She turned to head down the stairs, where the rest of the  
company was waiting. "He did, though, so I know he'll be all right."  
  
Sylphiel stared. She had long knew how Gourry felt about Lina, but she  
couldn't help but wonder if Lina felt anything in return. She remembered  
the incident where Lina cast the Giga Slave to save him, true, but...  
still, sometimes she felt Lina wasn't really concerned enough about the  
swordsman. This adventure, she promised herself, she'd keep an eye on them  
to make sure Gourry was treated right.  
  
*****  
  
"So, what do we do, now?" Filia asked as Lina made it to the table.  
  
Xelloss shrugged. "All I know is that the Lord of Nightmares told me to  
get everyone together, and keep you all safe until I get further orders."  
  
Lina frowned. "What are YOU doing talking to the Lord of Nightmares? I  
wouldn't think you would be on her list of close friends."  
  
"How do you think I recovered the Sword of Light from her after Gourry lost  
it inside your Giga Slave?" Xelloss smirked. "See, I was created by her  
from the body of Zelas Metallium. Also created were the position of the  
Knight of Ceiphied," he bowed to Luna, who nodded back, "Rezo the Red  
Priest, and the Founder of Sailoon." He smiled. "We were all made as her  
servants. Some of us went insane- like Rezo. Some of us were enslaved to  
our masters- like myself. Some of us became PART of the city we founded-  
like Sailoon herself, plus one other whose name would mean nothing to you."  
He looked over at Luna again. "The Knight of Ceiphied was the only mortal  
among us. When Luna dies, the title will be inherited by someone else.   
But that won't be for some time, I expect."  
  
Lina looked at her sister uncomfortably. "Some people accuse me of being  
the Lord of Nightmares. Would that make you my servant?"  
  
Luna just smiled.  
  
Xelloss sweatdropped before continuing. "Um... anyway. I was to be  
enslaved to Zelas until the Lord of Nightmares had a use for me, and then I  
would be freed. A few days ago, L-sama summoned me with the mission of  
gathering most of you together, and wait for further orders." He frowned.   
"Come to think of it, I was sort of expecting her to get those to me  
already."  
  
Filia coughed. "Um... forgive me, but... what does all this talk about  
being the Lord of Nightmares servant have to do with anything? We need to  
worry about this Mazoku Uprising that seems to be happening right under our  
noses."  
  
Xelloss turned an eye to her. "This isn't a Mazoku Uprising. This is an  
assassination."  
  
"What do you mean by that?!" Filia screeched. "Zelas sending almost a  
thousand of her beasts against us, and threatened that she was coming  
against us with more as soon as she could get her forces together, PLUS  
hinting she might actually show up to fight us IN PERSON."  
  
Xelloss smiled. "None of which suggests a Mazoku Uprising. If it was a  
Mazoku Uprising, they'd have struck this city which we're currently taking  
refuge in, first." He shook his head. "No, they're targeting someone."  
  
Filia blinked. "Who?"  
  
He looked over at her, then down at the egg she was carrying. "Well, let's  
see. The Mazoku know that they've just BARELY got the edge over you  
Dragons at the moment. They also know that if you're able to raise Valgaav  
over there to adulthood, he will single-handedly be enough to give you guys  
the advantage. So, they have to kill you and Valgaav before that happens."  
He paused. "They also seem to have targeted Lina for some reason-  
probably they're a little scared of her. After all, she toasted a part of  
Shabradnigo, Hellmaster Phibrizo, AND helped us destroy Dark Star and Gaav.  
I was told by Zelas that she didn't think I could match her in a normal  
fight."  
  
Filia raised an eyebrow. "But you were offering to kill her in return for  
Valgaav's services?"  
  
Xelloss smirked. "I said a normal fight. I wouldn't have fought her in a  
normal way."  
  
Lina sighed, bashing him over the head. "Stop talking about killing me,  
okay? It isn't the sort of thing I want to think about right now."  
  
He rubbed the back of his head. "Owie. That hurt!" Turning his attention  
back to Filia, he continued, "At any rate, the Mazoku leadership knows that  
if they were to try a full-scale uprising right now, the remaining three  
Dragon Kings would come out of their hiding places and destroy them. If  
they stick to just us twelve, though, the Dragon Kings won't bother." He  
smiled. "So basically it's the twelve of us versus Zelas and everyone in  
her power. And I should mention she has more servants, and more powerful  
servants, than anyone else in the Mazoku hierarchy, save Shabradnigo  
himself."  
  
Silence reigned for a moment. "So, how's Gourry?" Amelia asked Lina,  
trying to change the subject.  
  
"Huh? Oh, he's a little sick because the blood of some of those Ogres he  
killed got into him, somehow, but he'll be fine after an extended rest."   
Lina paused. "That reminds me... sis, can I talk to you in private for a  
bit?"  
  
Luna smirked up at her sister. "Your servant, sis," she said teasingly.  
  
*****  
  
Sylphiel stepped into her room and stopped cold. They had assigned four  
people to a room (only paying for three rooms), and so she had been forced  
to share with Martina, Naga, and Amelia. She wished she had been assigned  
to Gourry's room (he being thought of as the most trustworthy man to share  
a room with three girls- largely because he was totally unconscious and  
unlikely to wake for several days), but Lina, Luna, and Filia were given  
that one. Lina because she'd been forced to share a room with him before  
on their travels and was most comfortable with the situation (and was  
paying for the room), Luna because she was Lina's sister, and Filia  
because... well, she drew the short straw. Initially, the plan had been to  
let Zangulus and Martina share a room with two other girls, but only Naga  
was willing to share the room with the married couple. Everyone else was  
afraid the pair would keep everyone up all night.  
  
Now, Sylphiel was wondering if it might have been better to be kept awake  
by Zangulus and Martina's passion, as she stood between a duel of deranged  
plans, combined with lots of annoying and rather frightening laughter, held  
by Naga and Martina.  
  
"Well I was able to conquer an entire nation with ten clones of myself!   
OOOH HO HO HO HO HO!"  
  
The Queen of Xoana snorted. "Please. I once summoned a hurricane to  
torment Lina Inverse, even at the cost of tormenting myself! Oh ho ho ho  
ho ho ho!"  
  
Sylphiel, much to her dismay, found herself more impressed with Naga than  
Martina. Both for her achievements and her laugh. Not that she was going  
to say anything, though.  
  
Amelia stepped in, saw her sister and Martina in a confrontation, and  
shrugged. Grabbing Sylphiel by the arm, she dragged her out of the room  
and shut the door behind them. "We're going to need a nightcap before we  
go to bed, tonight. A lot of them, actually. Enough that we'll be able to  
pass out despite my sister's laughter."  
  
Sylphiel, unable to break Amelia's grip, protested, "But I'm a Shrine  
Maiden! I'm not supposed to get drunk!"  
  
Amelia shrugged. "So? I've been a Shrine Maiden in training all my life,  
and I'm a princess to boot. I'm not supposed to get drunk, either... but  
sometimes, there's just no choice." She paused. "I don't think I'll  
remain a Shrine Maiden, forever, come to think of it. I'd never be able to  
get married if I was."  
  
Sylphiel paused. 'Oh, yeah- that's why I never came on to Gourry when I  
knew him as a teenager- I wasn't allowed to date anyone. Hmm... but I'm  
willing to retire from being a Shrine Maiden, if I can ever win him from  
Lina.'  
  
*****  
  
"So, sis," Luna asked. "What'cha wanna talk about?"  
  
Lina shifted uncomfortably. "You saw Gourry fighting in the battle,  
right?"  
  
Luna nodded, smiling. "Yep. He's good. I'd like to spar with him, one  
day."  
  
Lina winced, picturing poor Gourry after a day of practice with her sister.  
"Um... talk to him about it when he's feeling better. I was really  
wondering if you noticed how uncomfortable he was using my sword."  
  
Luna nodded again. "Yeah... seemed to expect his sword to be a bit longer  
than it was, sometimes."  
  
"Right," the younger sister agreed. "That's part of it. Another part is  
that he's used to using the Sword of Light, but he gave that up to its home  
world, so he no longer has a sword of his own." She paused. "I'm making  
him a new magic sword, but I was wondering if you might have a spare weapon  
for him."  
  
Luna thought about it. "Longsword, right?"  
  
Lina nodded. "The sword was sometimes disguised with a normal blade, and  
that normal blade was a longsword, yeah."  
  
The elder sister went over to her pack and looked through it for a bit. As  
she searched her bag, she kept talking to her sister. "I could make a  
weapon for him. I'm better than you at that sort of thing."  
  
Lina scowled. "Yeah, you can." She paused. "But... well, you've never  
seen the sort of weapon I'm making for him in action. See, I want to make  
him a NEW Sword of Light."  
  
Luna pulled a longsword out of her bag that REALLY shouldn't have fit  
inside it. Turning to Lina, she smiled, "Sounds neat. Need help?"  
  
Lina nodded. "Yeah... that's the other thing I wanted to ask you. Do you  
see these four talisman I'm wearing right now?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"They enhance black magic quite a lot, and I can use them to focus energy  
and that sort of thing." She paused. "I was wondering if you knew of such  
a thing for white magic, or could make something like that?"  
  
Luna approached her sister and studied the talisman closely. "Hmm... these  
don't just focus black magic, you know."  
  
"Yeah, but they do black magic best. I need something that'll do the same  
thing for White magic- they'll need to be able to handle other forms of  
magic, as well."  
  
"Hmm... curious." Luna continued to study the gems. "Did you get these  
from your fight with Shabby?"  
  
"Uh, no," Lina said. She wasn't really comfortable around her sister in  
the first place, and hearing her refer to the most powerfully evil Dark  
Lord in her world as 'Shabby' didn't help ease her nervousness. "Xelloss  
had them. I spend several million to purchase them from him."  
  
"Odd... I thought these belonged to one of the parts of Shabradnigo. Well,  
that was a long time ago- Xelloss probably looted them off of one of them."  
She straightened herself. "Well, at any rate, the answer is I don't know  
of anything specific that you could use. That doesn't mean there isn't  
anything, though. There are lots of treasures from antiquity that probably  
have the properties you're looking for, but I'm not in possession of any of  
them, nor do I know where you could find them. Well, if you could find  
them, maybe the elves might know of something- they used to make some  
pretty good magical items that might have needed talisman like that." She  
handed Lina the sword. "Here, this is for Gourry to play with- it's a good  
sword. I was able to use it to kill a mid-level Mazoku once, but it IS a  
bit heavy." She pulled a second item out of nowhere. "And this is for  
you- one of the most useful books I've found on weaponsmithing magical  
weapons. Probably not anything you'd find in any of the major libraries,  
either. Be careful with it, though- it's older then Xelloss is."  
  
Lina blinked at her sister in surprise. In all the time she could  
remember, Luna had NEVER been this helpful to her before... well, not  
without causing her a lot of pain. "Um, sis?"  
  
"Yeah, Lina?"  
  
"Why are you being so nice to me? You've never acted like this before!"  
  
Luna smirked. "As Xelloss would say, that... is a secret."  
  
*****  
  
It was very late at night, and the company had gone to bed. Well, most of  
the company- Xelloss was still awake, chatting amiably with Luna in a  
nearby all-night tavern (the kitchen in the inn was closed) about their  
plans, but everyone who was still at the inn was asleep.  
  
Gourry was having some especially pleasant dreams. Simple dreams- he and  
Lina, sitting under a tree, fishing. Lots of food nearby. The stream they  
were getting their fish out of gurgling happily. Peaceful- very peaceful.   
No enemies they HAD to fight, though Lina was saying something about how  
much fun the last bandit raid had been, and why didn't they go on one again  
soon?  
  
Yeah, very peaceful dreams. Shattered, however, by a very powerful  
instinct inside of him.  
  
'Gourry, wake up!' something inside of him said.  
  
'But I'm having such a pleasant dream!' he complained. 'Lina's happy, I'm  
happy, we're together, having fun...'  
  
'I know, but there's no time to enjoy it. Lina's in danger!'  
  
His eyes snapped open as he roused himself to consciousness, breaking the  
six sleep spells that had been placed on him (three by the healer and one  
each by the girls as they got ready for bed, just to make certain he didn't  
get up while they were changing. He glanced over at the spot on the floor  
Lina was sleeping on anxiously.  
  
'Why is she sleeping on the floor when I'm sleeping on a bed?' he asked  
himself. 'That isn't right!'  
  
He didn't have time to puzzle things out, however- standing over Lina,  
preparing to drive some kind of weapon through her heart, was a vaguely  
humanoid creature. Probably a mazoku, but Gourry wouldn't know for certain  
if it told him. He didn't care, either- all he knew was that it was  
threatening Lina.  
  
He reached for his Sword of Light, forgetting for the moment it wasn't  
there. Finding it missing, he did the only thing he could- he launched  
himself at the thing hovering over his charge, shouting at the top of his  
lungs, "LIIINAAAAAAA!"  
  
Every muscle in his body felt sluggish, but he didn't have a choice BUT to  
move it harder than he'd ever moved it before. If he didn't, Lina would be  
dead, and if she was dead... well, what other reason did he have to live,  
if not for her?  
  
*crunch* He collided with the creature seconds before its weapon would  
have pierced Lina's chest. Gourry's tackle sent both of them careening  
into the Inn's wall- and through it.  
  
The thing, which Gourry could now tell for certain was a mazoku,  
effortlessly tossed the swordsman back into the hole the two of them  
created. Having sapped all of his strength in the one attack (six sleep  
spells were quite weakening), Gourry didn't have the energy to protect  
himself from the fall. Thankfully, however, someone was waiting to catch  
him.  
  
"Hi!" Filia said, smiling as she held him up. "You really shouldn't be out  
of bed, you know?"  
  
By this point, everyone in the two rooms had awakened, and Lina was quite  
pissed.  
  
"Now look here!" she shouted. "Attacking me in the middle of my beauty  
sleep is NOT a smart thing to do- I don't care if you ARE a Mazoku! *Flare  
Bit!*"  
  
The hundreds of tiny explosions as the charges from the Flare Bit hit the  
Mazoku's shield did little outside of cause noise. However, that was  
enough to bring aid, as the noise was able to travel through the now-quiet  
streets of Femille to reach the empty tavern Luna and Xelloss were chatting  
in.  
  
That aid didn't arrive right away, though. Silently, the Mazoku attacked  
again, throwing its own spell at Lina. She dodged, but a part of it winged  
her leg, knocking her to the ground.  
  
"LINA!" Gourry shouted, adreneline allowing him to tear out of Filia's  
grasp. Acting entirely on instinct, he ran down to her. "*Restoration!*"  
he somehow cast, not even aware he was doing it. His hands glowed white,  
and Lina's wounds healed up rather quickly with his spell.  
  
Meanwhile, Luna and Xelloss had teleported in.  
  
"Hmm... don't believe I know you," Xelloss told the Mazoku.  
  
It didn't say a word- it just cast a spell at him.  
  
The spell never reached, as Luna's sword cut through it, and continued  
traveling on until it sliced through the creature. Xelloss added a blow  
from his staff to the attack, and between the two of them it was rather  
handily destroyed.  
  
"Odd," Xelloss continued. "He's not the sort of servant my former master  
would create- she's a lot more imaginative in her designs. That's why they  
called her the Beastmaster, obviously. That guy looked more like one of  
Dynast's servants."  
  
Luna frowned. "Does this mean Dynast and Zelas are working together in  
this?"  
  
"Probably. Looks like our job just got a lot tougher."  
  
Lina was looking at Gourry, blushing. His healing spell had successfully  
repaired her leg, but after the brief burst of energy he had to save her  
from the Mazoku and then the second burst of energy he used to heal her, he  
had collapsed. Right on top of her. In a rather awkward position.  
  
Luna, passing by as she continued talking to Xelloss, smiled at her sister.  
"You know, it'd probably be more comfortable if you two shared a bed  
instead of using the floor."  
  
*****  
  
A half hour later, the rooms had been repaired (thanks to Luna's magic)  
Gourry had been returned to his sick bed (this time with six more sleep  
spells placed on him (each girl being DOUBLY sure he wasn't going to wake  
up that morning when they were changing)), and everyone was settling down.  
  
Lina couldn't help but smile at the sleeping Gourry as she resettled her  
bed things. "I can't believe the idiot took THAT long to learn a simple  
healing spell," she said- though there was enough affection in her voice  
that it was obvious she wasn't being mean. The others in the room made a  
point of ignoring her.  
  
"How did he do that?" Filia asked, awed, as she cast her second spell.  
  
"Do what?" Lina asked, settling into her futon on the floor.  
  
"Break through all six sleep spells placed on him by both that healer and  
us, just to protect you from that attacker? I mean, what he did was  
downright remarkable!" She moved over to her own futon, squatting down and  
pouring herself a cup of chamomile tea to fall asleep with.  
  
Lina couldn't prevent a small smile from sneaking its way onto her lips.   
"Yeah... he's been a pretty reliable guardian. I probably don't thank him  
enough, but I doubt he'd understand why I was thanking him if I did."  
  
"How did he know you were under attack, though? I mean, you didn't sense  
the Mazoku. I didn't sense the Mazoku. No-one else sensed the Mazoku.   
But he did- and he was able to sense it through six sleep spells, a  
slightly poisoned body, and his own regular exhaustion. And he was able to  
act on it, too."  
  
Lina got up from her futon and walked over to the sleeping swordsman. She  
placed a hand to his forehead, detected the mild fever the poison in his  
bloodstream was giving him, and sent him a silent spell that even she  
didn't know she was casting. "I don't know. It seems he's always there  
when I need him, though. And even when I don't need him." She adjusted  
his blankets slightly. "You can see why I want to get him a new weapon,  
though. He's quite useful to have around."  
  
Luna, who they both thought was asleep in the corner of the room, smiled as  
she witnessed her little sister with Gourry. 'Hmm... sis, do you even know  
what spell it was you just cast?' she asked herself.  
  
*****  
  
"I don't like it," Zelgadis said. It was the next morning, and they were  
discussing the attack in Lina's room. "They're attacking us in the city,  
now?"  
  
Xelloss shook his head. "It was a single assassin, not a full-scale  
attack. And I'm fairly certain it wasn't one of Zelas' servants, either-  
most likely, it was Dynast's. Which means, we're not just up against her,  
but against every Mazoku out there."  
  
"So how are Gourry... and Lina?" Sylphiel asked, concerned.  
  
"Gourry's resting comfortably," Filia said. "Lina's staying with him. She  
claimed she wanted time to read some book in peace, and to say that there  
wasn't much we could do until he was awake, so let's hold off on our  
council of war for a while."  
  
"Makes sense," Luna said. She made some sort of gesture to Xelloss that  
only he caught.  
  
Amelia blinked. "Lina hasn't eaten today, has she?"  
  
"I don't think so," Filia answered. "Not yet, anyway."  
  
Zelgadis sighed. He felt they should be taking immediate action, but  
apparently he was being out-voted. "Well, I guess we could gather supplies  
in the meantime."  
  
Xelloss laughed. "An excellent plan, Mr. Zelgadis. Since you suggested  
it, why don't you go do that? And why don't you take most everyone with  
you- Luna and I will stay here to protect Filia and Lina, if anyone  
attacks."  
  
Zelgadis clucked- obviously, he was being gotten rid of. Still, if it got  
him out of sight of that annoying Trickster Priest, he'd do it. "Yeah,  
whatever. Come on, gang."  
  
With that, most of the company dissolved, leaving just Filia, Luna, and  
Xelloss.  
  
"So, Luna," Xelloss coughed. "What DID you want to talk about, anyway?"  
  
Luna looked at Filia, pointing her thumb at her. "Sure it's safe?"  
  
Xelloss chuckled. "Oh, let's not keep this a secret from her. She could  
be useful."  
  
Filia glared at Xelloss. "Excuse me, Mr. Raw Garbage, but I don't  
particularly LIKE being used- especially by the likes of you."  
  
Xelloss twitched, but remained calm. "Oh, but you'll like helping us with  
this, I expect. So, Luna...." He opened a single eye, leveling it at the  
elder Inverse sibling. "Why'd you want me to get rid of everyone?"  
  
"Lina cast something on Gourry. Thought you'd be interested."  
  
Xelloss' open eye widened. "You mean, she cast THE spell?" Luna nodded.  
  
Filia blinked. "Um... what spell is this?"  
  
Xelloss looked at Filia and considered. "Hmm... how old are you, Filia?   
How long ago were you hatched?"  
  
Filia frowned. "How rude! You should NEVER ask a lady her age, not even a  
dragon lady like me!"  
  
Luna smirked. "Answer, Filia. He needs to know."  
  
Filia sighed. "Well... my egg was laid back during the Koama war, but my  
mother wasn't able to hatch me at first. I was actually buried by her- to  
protect me from YOU, mazoku- and my mother didn't recover me until the war  
was officially suspended and the surrounding area was stabilized. Then it  
was another few hundred years before she could get around to it, thanks to  
her being sent off as a diplomat to your side, in the cease-fire  
negotiations." She paused. "Well, to make a long story short, I'm only  
about three hundred, though my egg's been around for over a thousand  
years."  
  
Xelloss smiled. "Hmm... you say she was a diplomat in the cease-fire  
negotiations? I might actually have met her a few times. Who was she?"  
  
"Ilana."  
  
Xelloss eyes widened. "Hmm... you're lucky to be alive. I spared your  
mother on the battlefield because she was a non-combatant. I nearly got  
punished for that one." He paused. "Actually, you saved your mother's  
life, though you probably weren't aware of it at the time. If she hadn't  
been carrying your egg, I would have thought she was a Dragon Warrior, and  
been forced to kill her."  
  
Filia glared at Xelloss. "Don't remind me of what you did to my race,  
freak."  
  
Xelloss sighed- he knew he deserved that one. Still, it was rather  
annoying. "Sorry- not like I had a choice in the matter. Still, it sounds  
like you're too young to remember this spell we're talking about- it's only  
been used a couple of times in the past eight-hundred years, and it isn't  
very famous or anything. In fact, it's a rather private spell."  
  
Filia's annoyance with the mazoku was starting to grow greater than her  
curiosity about the spell. "Just tell me what the stupid spell is, and  
what it does, so we can get on with all of this!"  
  
"Not a stupid spell," Luna said. "Dangerous, yes. Stupid, no."  
  
"Dangerous? In what way?" Filia asked.  
  
"It's kind of hard to explain," Xelloss said. "Though, considering Lina  
and Gourry's condition prior to this, it probably is pretty safe."  
  
"WILL YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON, PLEASE!" Filia growled, her tail  
popping out.  
  
Luna clucked. "Calm down. We'll explain." She looked at Xelloss.   
"Though it's kinda hard to."  
  
Xelloss sighed. "I guess we should start at the beginning. Lina and the  
Water Dragon Kin Ceiphied have a lot in common, oddly enough. You know  
that Lina destroyed Hellmaster Phibrizo, right?"  
  
Filia nodded. "Yeah... that's the main reason I took Luna's recommendation  
when she selected Lina for the Dark Star incident."  
  
Xelloss coughed. "Well, see, the thing is, they don't really know it, but  
neither Lina nor Gourry survived that incident. They both died- Lina  
sacrificed herself to the Lord of Nightmares to save Gourry from  
Hellmaster, and Gourry sacrificed himself to... well, Lina, sort of, to  
save her. Lina was consumed by the chaos when Hellmaster killed her in the  
middle of a Giga Slave, and Gourry... well, Gourry went INSIDE the Lord of  
Nightmares trying to bring Lina back." He paused. "Technically, I suppose  
his body wasn't destroyed, but he should have been lost inside the Chaos  
forever, and large portions of his soul were stripped away- the only thing  
remaining in his body was his love for Lina. Once he went inside, there  
was no way out."  
  
Filia blinked. "They certainly seem to be quite lively, for a couple of  
people consumed by the Chaos."  
  
Luna chuckled. "Yep. But they were."  
  
Xelloss nodded. "As Luna said, they WERE, in fact, consumed by the Chaos  
and killed. But there was a problem- the Lord of Nightmares was faced with  
a paradox, and so had to make a decision. Water Dragon King Ceiphied had  
made a similar bargain towards the end of the Koama war, where he exchanged  
his life so that the Mazoku could be defeated. As part of that bargain, I  
was created, Luna's Knighthood was established, and the other Servants of  
the Lord of Nightmares were born."   
  
Filia's eyes widened in wonder. "We of the Dragon Race always wondered how  
he was able to seal Gaav and the awakened part of Shabradnigo as he was  
being destroyed. I guess that makes sense, though."  
  
He nodded. "But the Water Dragon King didn't need to remain alive for his  
bargain to succeed. Lina did. Lina called upon power from ANYONE, solely  
to protect Gourry. And all Lina wanted was for Gourry to live on, so she  
didn't really care when the Lord of Nightmares took her away, because  
Gourry was safe."  
  
"But he wasn't," Luna supplied.  
  
Xelloss nodded. "No, he wasn't. Gourry would rather Lina die than he die-  
and so followed her into the Lord of Nightmares. He didn't care if he  
lived or not. In fact, if he hadn't been able to rescue her, he would have  
killed himself for having failed to protect the one meaningful thing in his  
life." Dramatic pause. "And that was where the paradox came in- the Lord  
of Nightmares took Lina to save Gourry, but Gourry could not be saved  
without Lina. And Lina had already been lost inside the Chaos, and Gourry  
lost HIMSELF inside the Chaos going after her."  
  
Filia had calmed down enough to pay attention to the story, and flushed  
slightly. How romantic their dedication for each other sounded. She knew  
they kind of liked each other, but wasn't aware that their feeling were  
that strong. "So what did the Lord of Nightmares do?" she asked.  
  
Xelloss smiled slightly. Filia was acting just like a little kid waiting  
for her parents to finish a bedtime story. It made her look kind of cute.   
"Well, there wasn't much she COULD do, really. She promised to save  
Gourry. So she rebuilt both Lina and Gourry out of their remaining  
elements in the Chaos. Thing is, though... parts of both of them were  
'lost,' sort of. L-sama could isolate the missing elements, but couldn't  
tell who's was who. So... well, Lina and Gourry share parts of the same  
soul." He shrugged. "Of course, that still wasn't enough, so she  
incorporated a small portion of herself in each of them, to give them a way  
to escape the Chaos intact. Finally, she wiped their minds of the  
incident, so that they wouldn't go insane remembering being disassembled  
and reassembled- Gourry was intact through much of his time there, but he  
had to be taken apart for her to insert the bit of herself needed to keep  
them alive through the transition."  
  
"So, you're saying... Gourry and Lina ARE the Lord of Nightmares?" Filia  
asked.  
  
"Partially," Luna said.  
  
"Think of it this way," Xelloss explained. "Their bodies, minds, and even  
their souls are all intact- though small parts of their souls have been  
meshed together. However, all of those things are now POWERED by the Lord  
of Nightmares, who gave each of them a small part of herself so that their  
bodies, minds, and souls would be able to exist both inside and outside of  
the Chaos."  
  
"But not ALL of the Lord of Nightmares is inside them," Luna added.  
  
"Not even close. They didn't get much of her, at all. In fact, they're  
still more or less normal people- though they've received a few side  
effects from the procedure they don't realize, yet, and... well, there are  
certain conditions to their continued existence."  
  
"Side effects?"  
  
"They're immortal," Luna explained.  
  
"Sort of," Xelloss expanded. "They won't age much, and they can't die  
naturally. And, as I said, there are certain conditions to their continued  
existence- if Gourry and Lina ever, well, 'break up' on a permanent basis,  
the Lord of Nightmares will simply leave their bodies, and they'll, well,  
fall apart."  
  
"They can fight," Luna continued. "They've got a grace period in which  
they can make up if they break up, but... well, to put it bluntly, they're  
linked forever."  
  
Filia looked over at Xelloss. "Is this why you said it was a bad idea to  
try and hook Gourry and Sylphiel up?"  
  
Xelloss smirked. "No, I thought it was a bad idea to try and hook Gourry  
and Sylphiel up because I figured the only way to do that would be to kill  
Lina. But I guess this is just as good a reason, huh?"  
  
A twinge of that annoyance from before resurfaced, but she clenched her  
teeth and held it in. "So, anyway... what spell is it that Lina cast on  
Gourry? This 'dangerous' spell which might not be so dangerous, any more?"  
  
"Soul Refresh," Luna answered.  
  
"'Dangerous' isn't the way to put it," Xelloss said. "Probably a better  
word would be 'binding.' Essentially, what the spell does is it uses your  
soul to 'clean out' elements which trouble another soul by letting them  
enter your own. The problem with this spell is that it can sometimes merge  
the two souls together, so it should only be cast between intimates. It  
was originally used to treat insanity, but it was quickly found that this  
just divided the insane portions between the caster and castee. Which was  
fine, if you could wipe the insanity out of your own mind- as some of the  
stronger mages could- but that's what lead to the reputation of it being a  
'dangerous' spell."  
  
Filia blinked. "But why would Lina cast a spell like that on Gourry? He  
certainly didn't show signs of any mental distress."  
  
"Side effects," Luna said, prompting Xelloss.  
  
"Oh, yeah. If neither person if feeling too much mental distress- and Lina  
and Gourry aren't, despite their hectic lives- it usually results in the  
most pleasant of dreams. And those dreams are usually shared between the  
caster and the castee... like I said, this is the sort of spell only  
intimates used with each other."  
  
"Redundant, though," Luna commented.  
  
"Heh... yeah, as near as I can tell they already share dreams sometimes,"  
Xelloss agreed. "But this WAS one of the signs we were looking for, wasn't  
it?"  
  
"Signs?" Filia asked.  
  
"Part B of L-sama's orders. Hook sis and Gourry up," Luna explained.  
  
"The Lord of Nightmares feels a little guilty, because she thinks she went  
a little overboard with her memory wipe of their time inside the Chaos, and  
accidentally removed their memories of their first real kiss. We need to  
wait for three signs before we start overtly guiding them together, though.  
The 'Sharing of Souls,' which I guess this is- we were thinking this might  
have been what she meant, earlier. The 'Elven Sword,' which I have no clue  
about. Luna probably knows more about swords than anyone else, though."  
  
Luna shrugged. "Lina's making a sword. Needs a few things, first, though.  
Prob'ly that."  
  
Xelloss nodded. "And, finally, the 'Dragon's Heart.' Say, Filia- you're a  
dragon. Any clue what that might be?"  
  
"Uh... there are lots of things it could be," Filia blushed. "I don't want  
to talk about most of them."  
  
"But the most likely one is?"  
  
"Um, that's one of those I'd rather not discuss," Filia replied, blushing  
deeper. "I'll let you know if I see it, though."  
  
Xelloss nodded. "Right, so the final sign is to embarrass you. Well, I'll  
to my best to bring that one about, Filia- don't worry!" he patted her on  
the head.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME, FREAK!" A gentle caress of her mace sent Xelloss flying  
into the distance.  
  
*****  
  
Sylphiel cracked open the door to Gourry's room and quietly stepped inside.  
There he was, sleeping innocently on the room's one bed. Lina sat on a  
chair next to him, holding a book open. Closer inspection showed that she  
had fallen asleep reading.  
  
Silently, she walked over to the bed, adjusting the covers to keep Gourry  
comfortable. Something Lina should have done as she watched over him,  
instead of just reading that stupid book, whatever it was.  
  
He'd done it again- pushed himself beyond what should have been humanly  
possible in his desire to protect a woman who had never claimed to need  
protection. Felt the presence of a Mazoku intruder, snapped through six  
sleep spells, and tackled it. TACKLED a Mazoku! It was a rather  
ridiculous thing for him to do, really- a suicidal gesture that would do  
little more then gain a moment of time for someone else to react. But he'd  
done it, all the same- just to protect one Lina Inverse, Bandit Slayer,  
Dragon Spooker, and Enemy of All Who Lived.  
  
It was only the second time she knew of him pushing himself like that. The  
first was... well, the last time she'd seen him, where he stormed a big  
ball of Chaos just to retrieve the same Lina Inverse. It was then she knew  
she didn't stand a chance at his heart- at least, not while Lina lived.   
Sylphiel wouldn't even THINK of killing her, herself- after all, Lina was a  
friend, and had risked her own life to protect her. But Lina DID live a  
rather dangerous life, so there was always the possibility that she might  
die during one of her adventures... and Sylphiel, of course, would be  
available to comfort Gourry as much as she could.  
  
She wouldn't feel so upset if Lina would ever do anything to show Gourry  
the appreciation he so rightly deserved. It was pretty obvious she was no  
longer sticking with him just to get the Sword of Light anymore- the Sword  
of Light was gone, and she was still with him. But she wasn't showing him  
any affection, from what Sylphiel could tell.  
  
"Mmm... Sylphiel?" Lina said, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "What  
are you doing here?"  
  
Sylphiel blushed slightly. "Oh... I just wanted to visit Gourry, check up  
on him, make sure he was still okay."  
  
Lina rolled her eyes. "Of course. Well, don't worry- he's doing fine. He  
probably won't be waking up until tomorrow- after all, we've now got a full  
twelve sleep spells working on him." Her stomach growled slightly. "Um...  
are there any leftovers from breakfast downstairs?"  
  
Sylphiel shrugged. "Not that I know of. I think Amelia tried to save  
something for you, but your sister ate it."  
  
"Figures," Lina said. "Oh, well. Maybe I'll eat something for dinner."  
  
Sylphiel stared at Gourry's sleeping form. "I imagine you've seen him hurt  
quite a bit in your journeys together."  
  
Lina shook her head. "Not really... nothing so bad that a simple light  
healing spell didn't fix him up. In fact, I don't recall him ever looking  
quite as bad as he did after that battle. He wasn't hurt in the  
Shabradnigo incident- stunned occasionally, but never hurt. He wasn't hurt  
by Copy-Rezo. He wasn't hurt by Gaav or any of his servants. Heh... I  
wasn't even able to hurt him when he was being used against us by Phibrizo.  
The Lord of Nightmares didn't hurt him... I don't think. I can't really  
remember that incident all that clearly. Valgaav and Dark Star didn't hurt  
him. I really don't think he's EVER been hurt before... until now." She  
looked at Gourry's sleeping face. "Sylphiel, do you think you could  
arrange for my dinner to be brought here, today? Just get me whatever the  
special is." She paused. "Um, I want to try and finish this book."  
  
Sylphiel shrugged. She hadn't eaten with Lina often enough to realize that  
what she was asking for- just one portion of a meal- was significant.   
"I'll give them your request when I head back down." She recalled her  
earlier thoughts and took a deep breath. "Lina?"  
  
"Yeah?" she said, turning her attention back to her book.  
  
"You once said you were following Gourry to get his Sword of Light. He  
doesn't have a Sword of Light any more, so... um, if you're willing to  
answer... why do you follow him now?"  
  
Lina froze. "Um... I don't really know," she said. Letting her eyes  
travel over Gourry's features once more, she sighed. "I guess part of it  
is just that I'm so used to him being there that... that I couldn't see him  
NOT being at my side, you know? That's not the only reason, but it's the  
only one I can actually identify- or WILL identify- right now."  
  
Sylphiel nodded. "Ever wondered why he stays with you?"  
  
Lina laughed. "Constantly. Usually when he's at his most annoying." She  
looked up at Sylphiel. "He wants to protect me for the rest of his life.   
I can't deny him that."  
  
Sylphiel nodded. That struck a blow to her- she knew Gourry was in love  
with this girl, but when things like that were said bluntly to her it still  
hurt. "I'll... get that dinner order for you placed." She rushed out of  
the room, not able to stay in there any more.  
  
Lina glanced at Gourry one last time before returning to her book. "I just  
hope he doesn't get himself killed doing so," she whispered under her  
breath. Blinking when she realized she said that, she turned all of her  
attention to the book, desperately trying to block out everything  
Sylphiel's conversation stirred up. It wasn't something she particularly  
liked talking about any day, but when Gourry was hurt... well, it just  
wasn't something she wanted to talk about.  
  
*****  
  
Amelia sat next to Zelgadis as they ate dinner, starring across at Martina  
and Zangulus. Zangulus seemed rather uncomfortable with the displays of  
affection Martina was giving him in public, but seemed to be enjoying them  
immensely, regardless.  
  
Amelia sighed, picking at her food. "Zelgadis?"  
  
"Yes, Amelia?"  
  
She took a deep breath. "Can we talk privately for a bit?"  
  
"Beats watching them fawn over each other all night," he said, standing up  
and grabbing his cup of coffee.  
  
Amelia winced at his comment as she stood up as well. "Let's go to my  
room... there shouldn't be anyone else there right now."  
  
"Um, okay," he said, following her up the stairs into the private rooms of  
the inn. "So, what did you want to talk about.  
  
"Zel... um, look," Amelia said. She wasn't able to meet his eyes. "This  
adventure... it scares me. I mean, yeah- we shouldn't abandon Lina or  
anything, but... well, if the battle had lasted much longer I don't think  
Gourry would have made it. We're going up against... well, overwhelming  
forces. And... well, I guess what I'm saying is I'm not sure we can win  
this one."  
  
Zelgadis relaxed, placing a comforting arm on Amelia's shoulder. "Is that  
all? Look, we've all been in tight situations before, and we survived.   
We've faced down Shabradnigo, Copy Rezo, Gaav, Phibrizo, AND Dark Star, and  
we lived through it all. I'm not saying this isn't a bad situation, I'm  
just saying we can handle it."  
  
Amelia straightened up, looking him in the face. "Yeah, we can handle it.   
But will we all live through it? Can you PROMISE me that we'll all survive  
this one?"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Promise? No. But I'm never going into a fight  
believing I'm not going to get out of it victorious. Not since  
Shabradnigo."  
  
Amelia smiled weakly. "I'm not saying that you should. I'm just  
saying..." She couldn't finish- at least not that way. "Look... I don't  
WANT to die, I don't EXPECT to die. I don't want anyone I know or care  
about to be hurt in this thing, but... it could happen. And... there are  
some things I want to have happen before I die."  
  
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"  
  
Amelia bit her lip nervously. "I was watching Martina and Zangulus down  
there, and they just seemed so happy... and... Zel, when I asked you on the  
way here if you might be willing to get married one day, if you found a  
willing girl. Well, I'm more than willing right now... Zel, before we  
really get too deep into this adventure, could we, um, get married?"  
  
Zelgadis, who many believed was the stoic rock of the company, one who  
could never be phased by anything anyone did, reacted in typical fashion  
for one of his unshakable character. He fainted.  
  
*****  
  
"Let me get this straight," Lina said, looking at the newly arrived couple.  
She was still sitting at Gourry's bedside, her book set aside and a  
half-eaten plate of (now cold) ribs on a nearby table. "A half hour ago,  
Amelia, you asked Zelgadis, her, to marry you, correct?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "Uh huh!" she agreed enthusiastically.  
  
"And Zel... after a fainting spell that lasted for twenty-nine minutes,  
which you don't want to admit you had and don't have to- I don't care- you  
agreed, right?"  
  
Zelgadis blushed even deeper. "Um..."  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," Lina huffed. "And, first thing you do upon  
making this sudden decision, is come to my room. Now, WHY?!"  
  
"Um... I want you to be my maid of honor, Lina," Amelia explained  
nervously. "So... will you do it?"  
  
Lina blinked. "Um... when is it?"  
  
"Tonight!" Amelia said. "We want to get this... out of the way."  
  
"Tonight!" Lina exclaimed, somewhat shocked. She'd seen Amelia and  
Zelgadis getting gradually closer together during their adventures, so it  
wasn't too big of a surprise when they announced they were getting married.  
But that night? That was... rather sudden. And she didn't want to leave  
right then. "How about we wait until tomorrow? That way, Gourry can join  
in the fun- he should be up to it by then... and I'll have had time to  
finish my book, of course."  
  
Amelia's eyes sparkled. "Does that mean you'll do it?!"  
  
"Er, maybe," Lina said. She wasn't really that enthusiastic on the  
subject- she enjoyed going to weddings, sometimes, but participating in the  
ceremony... well, that just wasn't her cup of tea. "What about Naga?   
Wouldn't she want to be the maid of honor at her sister's wedding?"  
  
Amelia blinked. "You mean Gracia? I forgot about her. But it's been so  
long since I've seen her, and she's changed so much since I last knew  
her... Lina, to tell you the truth, you're more of a sister to me then she  
is, now. I'll make her one of my bride's maids, but I want YOU to be my  
maid of honor. Please?" Lina looked reluctant. "Pretty please? If you  
say yes, we'll hold off until tomorrow night for you!"  
  
Lina sighed. She couldn't say no to that face. "Oh, all right. Now get  
out of here and let everyone else know, okay? I want to finish my book  
before everyone else comes to bed!"  
  
"Yay!" Amelia rushed over to her and hugged her. Lina blushed slightly.   
"Thank you, Lina- you don't know how much this means to me."  
  
Lina returned the hug, patting the other girl on the shoulders. "Think...  
nothing of it," she said.  
  
"Come on, Zel- let's go tell the others!" Amelia said, buzzing out the door  
and grabbing him by the sleeve.  
  
Lina sighed, looking at Gourry with something resembling sadness on her  
face. "Gourry... we'd better all make it out of this one. I don't want to  
lose any of them."  
  
*****  
  
Luna smirked as she entered her room, preparing to go to bed. Lina had  
fallen asleep at Gourry's bedside again, still 'reading her book,' which  
just happened to be the same book Luna had loaned her the previous day.  
  
"Lina," she said quietly, shaking her younger sister gently. "Lina, you'd  
sleep better in your futon."  
  
Lina blinked her eyes open. "Eh, what? Oh, yeah... bedtime." She bent  
over Gourry and straightened his blankets once. She lay a hand on his  
forehead. "*Soul Refresh*" she cast.  
  
Luna blinked. "What spell did you just cast?" she asked, trying to make  
certain she heard right.  
  
Lina looked over at her sister. "Sleep, of course- we want him to wake up  
in the morning, but not until after we're done getting dressed."  
  
Luna nodded. Just as she thought, Lina hadn't even been aware she was  
casting Soul Refresh. Perhaps she'd been doing that for a while now, but  
Luna wasn't about to complain. Filing that bit of information for  
reference, she gently guided her sister back to her futon. "Get some sleep  
yourself, 'kay? Gotta Council of War, then a Wedding, tomorrow."  
  
"Wedding?" Lina said, remnants of her nap still showing in her voice. "You  
mean I didn't dream that? Zel and Amelia ARE getting married?"  
  
Luna nodded. "And you're the maid of honor. Naga through a fit when she  
found out." She guided the drowsy Lina into her futon. "Now, *Sleep.*   
I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Lina was out almost the second her older sister's spell reached her. Luna  
smiled, tucking her in. Standing up, she walked over to Gourry and shook  
her head.  
  
"Boy, you're lucky to have sis," she said. Then she remembered the  
previous night, where Gourry had broken through six sleep spells to save  
Lina's life. "Then again, she's probably just as lucky to have you."  
  
*****  
  
"So, Gourry's still under the effects of about twenty sleep spells cast on  
him over the past two days, and LINA'S still under the effects of YOUR  
sleep spell from last night, right?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
Luna nodded. "Yep."  
  
"Okay... so how were you planning to wake them up in time for the Council  
of War?" he asked.  
  
"And our wedding?!" Amelia added, causing Zelgadis to blush slightly.  
  
"Er, yes, and our wedding?"  
  
The elder Inverse sibling smirked. "Simple. *Flow Break!*" she cast.   
Nothing seemed to happen except a mild flash of light in the shape of a  
star in a circle. "Lina, time to get up!" she called.  
  
Lina blinked her eyes open. "Huh?"  
  
"Time to get up, sis," Luna said. "And maybe we could try to get Gourry  
up, as well? The healer was here earlier and said the poison is now  
completely out of his system."  
  
"But hurry up. I KNOW you two will want breakfast, and we've got a Council  
of War to hold," Zelgadis reminded. Amelia looked at him. "Er... and a  
wedding to attend."  
  
"Breakfast?" Lina said blearily. "Oh, right... um, can you leave the room  
for a bit? I'll wake Gourry up after I've had a chance to freshen up and  
change."  
  
Luna nodded. "Sure, sis. Come on, guys- let's give her some privacy."  
  
Zelgadis and Amelia followed the elder Inverse out of the door. Lina  
blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around the room. "Ugh...  
Luna must have cast a Sleep spell on me," she grimaced. There was a mild  
tingle to her body, the aftereffects of the Sleep spell's effect. "Poor  
Gourry, though. He's going to get it MUCH worse when he wakes up. I  
wonder how many times we cast that silly spell on him, between us?"  
  
Shrugging, she stood up and pulled a fresh set of clothing out of her bag,  
tossed it over her shoulder carelessly, and started changing. Her clean  
pants just happened to fall onto the bed Gourry was sleeping on, stirring  
him, but she didn't notice. She just thought about how much she really  
wanted a bath first, but she realized there wasn't really enough time for  
one.  
  
Gourry's eyes started blinking themselves opened just as she was pulling  
off her shirt. His eyes adjusted to the light, and he suddenly realized  
what, exactly, he was seeing- Lina, stripping off her underwear.  
  
He mentally gasped. He couldn't, physically, due to the aftereffects of  
over twenty Sleep spells (for some reason, the effects of having that many  
Sleep spells case on one person had never been studied by any of the major  
magical schools), nor could he move his hand to cover his eyes. He  
couldn't close them, either, though whether or not that was something  
caused by the spells' aftermath or not, he couldn't tell.  
  
Lina, now totally naked, closed her eyes and started stretching. It felt  
good to be able to do something like this when she wasn't wearing her  
somewhat heavy armored shoulder pads (however used to them she was) or  
restrictive clothing. There wasn't too much time for even that, though, if  
she wanted to get everything they were planning done by the end of the day.  
  
She opened her eyes, glancing around for the fresh clothing she had  
scattered about the room. There was her shirt on the chair, and over there  
on the bed were her pants, and-  
  
Wait, were Gourry's eyes OPEN? And if his eyes were open, didn't that mean  
he was awake? And if he was awake and his eyes were open, didn't that mean  
he'd been watching her as she changed... and was STILL watching her even  
now? "Gourry..." she uttered in a low growl.  
  
Gourry never wanted to be able to move any more than he did at that moment.  
Unfortunately, the parts of his body responsible for movement hadn't quite  
recovered yet...  
  
Downstairs, the assembled company heard a powerful explosion coming from up  
in Lina's room. As fast as they could, they ran up the stairs and burst  
through the door, Zelgadis (sword drawn) in the lead.  
  
A still naked Lina, standing next to the charred (but miraculously still  
breathing) body of Gourry, glanced over at them, fire in her eyes.  
  
"You all, too?! *FIREBALL!!*"  
  
*****  
  
Once the situation had settled down, the room had been restored to order,  
the fires put out, and Lina finally put on some clothes, the entire company  
(Gourry included) met down in the tavern, at a makeshift round table (six  
small tables arranged in a circle). The arrangements had the violently  
embarrassed Lina sitting next to the obviously just as embarrassed Gourry.   
They both seemed to be sitting as far away from each other as the tables  
would allow.  
  
"Well," Xelloss started, all smiles. "Now that Lina's had her bit of  
exhibitionistic fun, let's get this Council of War started." He paused to  
allow Lina's fierce growl of anger before continuing. "Basically, I have  
no more idea of what's going on than any of you do. L-sama just said to  
gather you all together and protect you until she gave us word. She had a  
few more orders, as well, but those are a secret, and don't really relate  
to our current situation."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "They don't? Do they give you any hints as to why the  
Lord of Nightmares is suddenly becoming active in this world again, after  
so long of just ignoring it and allowing the Dragons and Mazoku rule as the  
gods of this world?"  
  
Xelloss hesitated. "Well... her orders didn't explain anything in that  
regard, no. However, I suspect Lina's casting the Giga Slave against  
Phibrizo might have something to do with it..."  
  
Sylphiel sighed. "I warned you that you should never cast the Giga Slave,  
Lina."  
  
Lina glared at her. "I didn't really have much choice at the time."  
  
Sylphiel looked at Gourry, sighed, then looked down at her table. "No, I  
guess you didn't."  
  
"At any rate," Xelloss said, "We now have to decide what to do about the  
horde of Mazoku and their followers who appear to be following us. We know  
that at least my former mistress, Zelas, and one other of her peers,  
Dynast, are working together against us. I would not be surprised if the  
final surviving Mazoku of her level, Dolphin, was aiding them as well.   
Which means, of course, that it's us versus every mean and nasty living  
being out there. It's a good thing Hellmaster is dead, or we might have  
had to include ever non-living being out there in that list, as well."  
  
"Don't worry- Zoamelgustar will protect us!" Martina exclaimed. Her  
husband glanced over at her hesitantly.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "I suspect it will take more than just the blessing of  
Zoamelgustar to keep us safe from THAT many Mazoku. Perhaps we should find  
a place of refuge, and gather a force that CAN keep us safe around it.   
Something along the lines of the three remaining pieces of Ceiphied's  
power."  
  
Luna shook her head. "We can ask them, but I doubt they'll help."  
  
Filia nodded. "That I can confirm. The remaining portions of Ceiphied  
don't want to be bothered unless Shabradnigo is reborn."  
  
Xelloss coughed. "We could free a portion of Shabradnigo, and that might  
attract their attention."  
  
Lina glared at him. "Are you KIDDING?!" she nearly screamed with the  
pent-up frustrations of that morning. "Yeah, sure- it would attract their  
attention, all right- but WE'D be their enemy, too!"  
  
Xelloss shrugged. "It was only a suggestion."  
  
"Forgive me," Vrumagum said. "But I believe that gathering allies is only  
a secondary priority at the moment. Wouldn't our first priority be finding  
a safe place to assemble these forces we are counting on to defend us?"  
  
"What's wrong with right here?" Filia asked. "This is a nice city- a bit  
small but what difference does it make? It's supposed to be a center of  
study for Shrine Maidens, so there should be plenty of mages here to help  
defend it from attack."  
  
"It's too small," Zelgadis commented. "Lina could wipe it out with a  
single Dragon Slave. Considering several of the Mazoku are more powerful  
than a single Dragon Slave, this city wouldn't last long when their heavy  
hitters showed up."  
  
"Sailoon is pretty big!" Amelia suggested. "And it's protected by my  
father's great sense of justice! That would be the perfect place to use as  
a refuge!"  
  
Naga sweatdropped. "Amelia... I am pretty sure I told you that I DIDN'T  
want to go back to Sailoon anytime soon, didn't I?"  
  
Xelloss scratched his head. "Well, Sailoon DOES have special properties  
that would help protect it from the Mazoku, but..."  
  
"Amelia," Zelgadis said, scratching his head as well. "Um... I understand  
your Sailoon Pride and all, but... don't you think your father would get a  
little upset when most of the city gets destroyed in a Mazoku war?"  
  
Naga nodded enthusiastically. "Besides, sis... are you SURE you want to  
have your honeymoon anywhere NEAR where daddy might show up at any moment?"  
  
Amelia looked a little scared. "Er... maybe we should find someplace  
else."  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Honeymoon? Is that some kind of pickle?"  
  
Lina flushed. "Gourry! Don't tell me you don't know what a honeymoon is?   
No, wait- never mind. I should have expected that from you."  
  
"So what is it?" he asked her.  
  
"It's... uh... er... does anyone ELSE want to field this one? Please?" she  
begged.  
  
Xelloss smirked. He was sitting at the table next to Gourry, so he was in  
an advantageous position to lean over and whisper a few details on what a  
honeymoon was to the swordsman.  
  
By the time he was done, Gourry was as red as a beet. "Oh... I guess that  
isn't a pickle, after all," he said dazedly.  
  
Xelloss sweatdropped. "Well... I suppose I've heard of some women USING a  
pickle, but usually not during the honeymoon."  
  
Gourry looked over at Amelia. "So you're getting married?"  
  
"Uh... yeah," she said. She still wasn't quite over the picture she had of  
her father bursting in on her and Zelgadis just when things were getting  
good.  
  
"Well, I know the perfect place for you to do it!" he exclaimed. "And we  
won't even have to worry about these people attacking us while we're there,  
either."  
  
Filia's attention perked up- she'd been glaring at Xelloss and wondering  
what tales he'd told the poor clueless swordsman. How dare he make Lina's  
wedding night so confusing for Gourry! Well, assuming they were successful  
and Gourry ever went ON a honeymoon. "Oh? Why not?"  
  
"Well," Gourry said. "They wouldn't be able to find it. Only my family  
and the people who live there know about it, and there's something about it  
that won't let it be found."  
  
"And why is it so secret?" Xelloss asked, curious.  
  
"Well, it's an Elven village," Gourry explained. "A group of homeless  
elves, aided by my ancestors- starting with Rowdy Gabriev, the first of my  
family to use the Sword of Light in combat- beat off a group of Mazoku who  
ruined their village. Rowdy, who was the Grand Oregano or something like  
that, built them a secret refuge. My family and these elves have been  
allied ever since."  
  
Lina's jaw dropped, and she looked over at Gourry, then to Naga (who seemed  
totally clueless), then back to Gourry.  
  
"Grand Oregano?" Martina asked.  
  
"I... I think he means sage," Lina answered. "The Great Sage Rowdy  
Gabriev. I met him once."  
  
Gourry frowned. "Rowdy's been dead for a long time, Lina- you couldn't  
have met him. You are right, though- I think it was Great Sage. I knew it  
was some kind of herb, though. I always figured he got that title because  
he was a great cook."  
  
"Well, you do act like you're related to a plant sometimes," Lina muttered  
under her breath. Louder, she said, "It's a long story, but I think I did.  
He showed up in the future to take me to the past and rescue these same  
elves. Er... I don't know if he was a good cook or not, though- I never  
had any of his food. At any rate, this place sounds like the best  
suggestion so far."  
  
"Hmm... Elves, huh?" Xelloss said. "Sounds just like what the Lord of  
Nightmares was expecting us to do."  
  
'Elves?' Filia thought to herself. 'Elven sword... the prophecy!' Turning  
her attention to the gathering, she said, "I agree. Let's go to this  
village of Gourry's."  
  
Xelloss turned to look at her. "YOU agree with ME?"  
  
"It's a miracle," Zelgadis said, smirking. "If THOSE two agree, I might as  
well, too."  
  
"I like Elves," Luna said, showing her enthusiasm for the plan.  
  
"How romantic! A hidden Elven village in an out of the way place, our  
friends all there to see us off- it's the PERFECT place to hold a wedding!"  
Amelia squealed. "It'd be worth the wait, too- wouldn't it, Zel? Wouldn't  
it?"  
  
"Er..." he gargled nervously.  
  
"Any objections?" Xelloss asked. There was a pause. "Well, then- seems  
like we're decided. The wedding's postponed, people. We have a plan.   
Now, how about allies?"  
  
Luna shook her head. "Not now."  
  
Lina nodded in agreement with her sister. "Let's wait until we get to the  
Elven village before we talk about that. They may not want us to bring  
others in, considering the lengths to which they seem to be going to  
protect their privacy."  
  
There were a lot of nods, and Xelloss finally joined them. "Very well. I  
guess we'd better get packed, then- we seem to be starting our travels  
again already!"  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
desaix@sysnet.net  
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee   
fanfics available at   
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm  
David A. Tatum's Used Anime Trading Post  
http://www2.sysnet.net/~desaix/shop.htm 


	5. Default Chapter Title (heh)

From: "David A. Tatum"   
To: "David A. Tatum"   
Subject: Slay5.txt  
Date: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 10:45 AM  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: A Horror, a Meeting, and a Prophesy  
  
...Where Lina and Naga face their worst fear, the Elves are met, and L-Sama  
reveals her plans.  
  
  
  
Gourry frowned. "I don't like this sword," he said, stepping over the body  
of another ogre that he had killed in the latest skirmish.  
  
  
  
Lina glanced at him. "Would you rather use my shortsword again?  
*Fireball!*"  
  
  
  
Gourry didn't even blink as the spell passed inches in front of his face and  
blasted a berserker that had been about to run him through. "Maybe- at  
least the balance is right on that one. This sword doesn't feel right."  
  
  
  
Lina frowned. "That's odd- Luna's very good with swords. I wouldn't expect  
her to be carrying a defective weapon. HEY, LUNA!"  
  
  
  
Luna neatly beheaded the creature she was engaged with and teleported over  
to Lina's location. "Yeah, Sis?"  
  
  
  
"*Flare Bit!*" Lina cast, taking out several of the wave of ogres that were  
charging in and scattering the rest. "Gourry's having some problems with  
that sword you loaned him. He says the balance doesn't feel right. Since  
when do you carry poor weaponry?"  
  
  
  
"It's enchanted to get better the more it's used," Luna explained.  
  
  
  
Lina glared at her sister. "That doesn't help us NOW, though, does it?"  
  
  
  
Luna shrugged. "Gourry's good. He'll deal."  
  
  
  
"*Rah Tilt!*" Zelgadis cast, taking out a brass demon. "We're almost clear,  
here. How much further to this village of yours, Gourry?"  
  
  
  
Gourry ducked a swipe from some nameless pink poka-dotted claw beast, spun,  
and neatly bisected the creature. "Hmm... well, if we could get moving now,  
we might get there by nightfall."  
  
  
  
"*Elmekia Lance!*" Amelia cried, wiping out the last column of attackers.  
"Well, then, let's get going."  
  
  
  
The battle over, the company started gathering their dropped supplies and  
equipment to continue their journey. Sylphiel, inspecting a dropped bag of  
dried peas for leaks, suddenly looked up. "Ms. Naga?!" she said. Lina  
turned to look over at her, wondering what was so startling. The shrine  
maiden blinked. "No, you're standing right there... that's funny. I hear  
someone shouting over there, and it sounds like you," she explained,  
pointing.  
  
  
  
Martina, standing near her, listened as well. "I think I hear it, too...  
and it DOES sound a lot like you, Naga. Maybe we should go look?"  
  
  
  
"Now it sounds like Ms. Lina's crying out, as well!" Sylphiel added.  
"Whoever it is, they're really in distress."  
  
  
  
A bad feeling creeped up Lina's spine. Her and Naga? A certain memory of a  
previous adventure struck her. "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. In fact, it's  
probably a trick... no need to investigate, really!" Lina spoke rapidly.  
  
  
  
"Why, Lina!" Naga cried in a haughty tone. "Are you afraid of seeing  
someone who sounds like us? Why, I never would be afraid of-"  
  
  
  
Lina rushed up, covering Naga's mouth with her hand. She whispered a few  
words in the taller girl's ear, causing her eyes to widen.  
  
  
  
When Lina removed her hands, Naga just stared at her. Lina nodded.  
Finally, Naga coughed and said, "Well... maybe you're right. Maybe we  
shouldn't go looking into this. We probably aren't wanted, after all...."  
  
  
  
Xelloss opened an eye in surprise. "Hmm... both Lina and Naga are terrified  
of this, and the voices sound like them. Is there something you two aren't  
telling us?"  
  
  
  
"Us?" the two sorceresses chorused.  
  
  
  
"Why don't we go see what this is? I'm curious," Xelloss said.  
  
  
  
"And who made YOU leader?" Lina growled at the mazoku.  
  
  
  
"Me? The leader?" Xelloss said. "Well, I guess I could be the leader, if I  
wanted. After all, I'm the only one who knows what's going on...."  
  
  
  
"You don't know any more than we do, at this point!" Lina cried. "Gourry's  
the only one who knows where this village is. Why shouldn't we make him  
leader?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, that's okay, Lina," Gourry said reassuringly. "Xelloss can be the  
leader if he wants- I don't really want to be one."  
  
  
  
"I certainly don't want that Raw Garbage as MY leader," Filia said.  
  
  
  
"Thank you!" Lina breathed. Maybe they wouldn't have to investigate these  
screams after all.  
  
  
  
"But I still want to see what's imitating you and Naga, Lina," the dragon  
finished.  
  
  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Like I said before, if those two agree, I'm sure  
as hell going to listen. I say we go."  
  
  
  
"But-" Lina said.  
  
  
  
"What'cha 'fraid of, Sis?" Luna asked, smirking.  
  
  
  
"Nothing!" Lina exclaimed.  
  
  
  
"Then let's go," Zelgadis said. "We've done enough talking. It's pretty  
clear we'll wind up going, so let's not waste any time."  
  
  
  
Murmurs of assent and a shuffling of feet indicated that most of the others  
had decided to join him. Lina and Naga just stared at them, slowly backing  
away. Hopefully, they could get away before their terrible secret was  
discovered.  
  
  
  
A large hand descended on Lina's shoulder. "Relax, Lina," Gourry said. "I'  
ll protect you from whatever horror it is impersonating you."  
  
  
  
Lina sighed. There was no getting away, now. "It's not exactly something I  
need protection against... just promise me you won't think any less of me  
when you see her, okay?"  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
The party arrived to see a rather comical fight between some of the more  
vicious of Zelas' beasts and a pair of girls who looked remarkably like Lina  
and Naga. The Lina look-alike was on her knees, eyes wide and watering  
while her hands were clapped in front of her, begging in front of a creature  
which made all of the other girls who could see it cringe.  
  
  
  
"Oh, please, Mr. Tentacle Monster, sir, won't you PLEASE consider pacifism?  
We really never should fight- there are MANY reasons why it's better to  
never fight. Even a horrible, blood-drinking rape-beast like you can see  
that, can't you? Wouldn't things be so much better if your victims were  
willing, and didn't fight you? Can't we talk this out? Please!?"  
  
  
  
The Naga look-alike, on the other hand, was just blushing as the other  
monsters surrounded her. She had a cape on, wrapped tightly around her to  
conceal herself. One monster reached in and swiped at her, slashing the  
cape to pieces. The holes revealed an outfit identical to Naga's own, and  
the look-alike shrieked. "EEK! Don't look at me- I feel so embarrassed!"  
she cried, launching dozens of powerful spells in a wide circle, wiping out  
many of the creatures around her. "Oh, why am I cursed to wear such a  
horrid thing?!" she lamented, inspecting her bikini.  
  
  
  
The real Lina whimpered. "I was hoping no-one would ever see them again."  
  
  
  
"Who ARE they?" Zelgadis asked, astonished. "They look just like you, but  
they act...."  
  
  
  
"Like our exact opposites? Remember the legendary Shadow Reflector of  
Shazal Rugandy?" Lina said.  
  
  
  
"A mirror which, according to legend, would create a copy of the person  
reflected in it, with all of their skills and their exact opposite in  
character," Vrumagum said. "When Eris was researching ways to make copies  
of me, she investigated Rugandy's research. Unfortunately, we were never  
able to find the mirror itself...."  
  
  
  
"That's because Naga and I shattered it, hoping it would get rid of them,"  
Lina said firmly, pointing out the two shadow copies.  
  
  
  
"Well, whatever their origins, they ARE in trouble," Amelia said, using her  
'justice' tone. "*Elmekia Lance!*" she cast, sending a blast of white magic  
into the crowd of demons surrounding the two girls.  
  
  
  
Lina sighed in resignation. "Can't we just let these two fend for  
themselves? I mean, really, they've done fine for years without anyone  
rescuing them before, and I'm fairly sure they would have run into just as  
many adventures as Naga and I have, at least... I'm sure they can take care  
of themselves, and I REALLY don't want to have to deal with them again. My  
shadow copy is almost worse than a... *shudder* slug."  
  
  
  
Gourry was glancing from the real Lina to the shadow Lina and back again.  
"Um, Lina... I've sword to protect you. But... if you are you, and this is  
your shadow, wouldn't this make her a part of you? Which means, wouldn't I  
be honor bound to protect her, as well?"  
  
  
  
"She isn't a part of me, Gourry, any more than your reflection in the mirror  
is a part of you."  
  
  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Are you sure?"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis was watching the two shadows fend off the attacking demons in their  
own way- through startling amounts of begging and incredible shyness.  
"Odd... these beasts of Zelas' didn't even get distracted by Amelia's  
attack."  
  
  
  
"They're sex-demons," Xelloss noted. "Zelas, being more or less female,  
doesn't really like using them, but it seems she's calling out everything in  
her disposal. They're attracted to these two shadows by their innate  
innocence." He glanced at them with certain skills gained from his mazoku  
origins. "Odd... somehow, they're more innocent than either Lina or Naga...  
but neither of them are virgins. Our Lina and Naga are, though...."  
  
  
  
"HEY!" Lina cried, her face turning red. "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT!?"  
  
  
  
"Please, Mr. Tentacle Demon, sir, haven't you ever heard of the phrase 'make  
love, not war?'" the shadow of Lina begged through her very feminine tears.  
"I live by that philosophy, and really think you should consider it..."  
  
  
  
"We might want to keep them away from poor Sylphiel, though. I think they  
just might be quite attracted to her," Xelloss added. "Amelia, too, for  
that matter- though I think she's a lot safer now than she would have been  
before she met you, Lina."  
  
  
  
The original Lina nearly tore out her hair. "Can we PLEASE just leave? I  
don't think it will do either us or them any good to get involved!"  
  
  
  
"They could be useful, Sis," Luna noted.  
  
  
  
"You just want to annoy me, don't you, big Sis?" Lina growled. "All right,  
then. If we're going to rescue those two, we'll do it MY way. *Darkness  
beyond twilight...*"  
  
  
  
Vrumagum frowned. "That's a Dragon Slave, isn't it? Won't that kill the  
people we're trying to rescue?"  
  
  
  
"Um... were you paying ANY attention to how your copies faired against  
Lina?" Amelia asked. "I mean, didn't you notice when she wiped out entire  
villages just to kill you, alone?"  
  
  
  
"Besides," Zelgadis added. "I don't think Lina really cares what happens to  
them."  
  
  
  
"And it isn't like Ms. Lina treats her friends all that nice, either,"  
Sylphiel added. "I've seen her blow my dear Gourry up with many a spell  
just because he said something silly."  
  
  
  
"*All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed...*" Lina intoned.  
  
  
  
"Um, shouldn't we be getting outside of the blast radius?" Filia suggested.  
  
  
  
"Yes, that probably would be a good idea..." Zelgadis agreed.  
  
  
  
"*DRAGON SLAVE!*"  
  
  
  
"Too late," Xelloss noted.  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
"I don't THINK they were killed by the blast," Sylphiel, using her scepter  
to receive some divine sight, said. "But the spirits seem to be saying they  
're flying away from here much too fast for us to catch up."  
  
  
  
Lina dusted her hands. "Well, I saved them, as promised. Can we move on,  
now?"  
  
  
  
Amelia, her hands glowing over her sister with healing energy, said, "Um...  
some of us aren't fit to travel at the moment. Give us a little while, and  
Gracia-"  
  
  
  
"Naga!" the girl in question spat out through clenched teeth and shut eyes.  
Her leg was sprained, but even worse she had a CUT on her leg. A very  
bloody cut... she couldn't stand blood.  
  
  
  
"Er, Naga," Amelia corrected herself, "should be able to keep up with us."  
  
  
  
Vrumagum was stitching up his hat, which had several holes burnt into it. A  
few of the travelers who had not seen him without his chapeau couldn't help  
but stare, noticing for the first time that he was bald.  
  
  
  
"Really, Lina... that WAS overkill. You could have wiped out most of those  
sex demons with a simple flare bit, they're so low-powered," Xelloss pointed  
out.  
  
  
  
"Lina was probably offended by their very nature," Filia suggested. "Surely  
any female would want their destruction so much they'd be willing to perform  
a bit of overkill...."  
  
  
  
"Nah. Sis always acts this way," Luna noted.  
  
  
  
Gourry was a little dazed from the blast, still, but nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah... she's wiped out entire kingdoms, before."  
  
  
  
"She's wiped out MY kingdom, before!" Martina snapped, a little of her old  
anger at the sorceress showing.  
  
  
  
Filia sighed. "Well, I have to admit that's probably true."  
  
  
  
Finally recovered from her injuries, Naga stood up. Noticing this, Zelgadis  
coughed to get everyone's attention. "Okay, people... I think we'd better  
get going. I, for one, don't want to have to travel much longer, and would  
like to make it to Gourry's elven village before nightfall."  
  
  
  
"Right. This way!" Gourry said, pointing at an impassible line of trees,  
before falling unconscious with a concussion.  
  
  
  
"Um... I think Gourry still needs a little recovery time," Amelia said.  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
"Over this rock," Gourry said, motioning to a rather large natural wall  
along the side of the road. "Is the only path to the village. There'll be  
a tunnel, too, but once we're past that we'll be inside."  
  
  
  
Martina looked at the wall uncertainly. "Um, how do we get over that 'rock?  
'"  
  
  
  
Gourry shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I haven't been back home since  
I left."  
  
  
  
"That's stupid- why make an exit and not have an entrance?" Zangulus said.  
  
  
  
"I suspect the wall was a primitive elven construct," Xelloss said. "They  
were known for being very good at making very silly devices. Oh, and we  
COULD just fly over the wall."  
  
  
  
Gourry blinked, smacking his hand with his fist. "Oh, yeah- I can do that  
now, can't I?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, you can, Gourry," Lina said, rolling her eyes. Grabbing Martina by  
the arm, she cast, "*Raywing!*"  
  
  
  
The company flew over the wall, Vrumagum carrying Zangulus and Gourry barely  
able to handle himself, again coming to a crash landing after reaching the  
other side.  
  
  
  
"We've really got to teach you how to land, Gourry," Lina said sadly, using  
a minor healing technique to repair a cut on his forehead.  
  
  
  
Amelia frowned as the party reorganized itself. "Say... since we're going  
to an elven village, does anyone here know anything about elves? I mean,  
beyond that they've got pointed ears and the other obvious physical  
characteristics. I've never met one, before...."  
  
  
  
Xelloss sighed. "I doubt anyone here has, except myself. The last  
well-known elven village was abandoned a few hundred years ago. Most of the  
surviving elves have gone into the seclusion of hidden villages and secret  
cities. I'm a bit surprised Gourry was permitted to LEAVE from an Elven  
village, myself."  
  
  
  
"I've met a few elves, and so has Naga," Lina said, still applying magic to  
Gourry. "But that was several thousands of years ago, actually."  
  
  
  
Luna blinked. "Lina, I'm your OLDER sister, and I sure ain't several  
thousand years old."  
  
  
  
Lina shook her head dismissively. "Remember me mentioning Rowdy grabbed me  
to take me to the past?"  
  
  
  
Luna nodded. "Ah... so you helped him save the elves?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah."  
  
  
  
"I'm quite familiar with the legend of Joyrock's fall," Xelloss said. "It's  
considered one of the most pathetic of ways for a mazoku of his rank to have  
fallen. But Elves have changed a lot since then... and probably have  
changed even more since that village was abandoned. But I believe my  
information is more current than yours." He paused for dramatic effect.  
"An elf will always specialize what skills he has to one field- often though  
not always involving technology or magic- but they are rarely capable of  
using those skills effectively. They can build an ultimate war machine that  
'll only attack the person who turns it on, or design a spell which will  
blast an opponent to smithereens yet will also do even more damage to  
themselves in the process. They usually fail to grasp certain concepts, and  
have a... flighty... memory, but are capable of brilliant flashes of  
inspiration from time to time. Usually, however, they have no peer when it  
comes to the trade they specialize in- an elven mage is usually ten times  
more powerful in his primary school than a comparable human, an elven  
swordsman as good or better than the most elite of humans. Outside of their  
trade, however... don't expect much from them. They're a race of idiot  
savants. Well, not all of them- the farmers are actually pretty normal  
farmers, and often are skilled in more than one area. Farming is a  
lower-class role for elves, but most of their politicians come from that  
field."  
  
  
  
Lina waved her unoccupied hand, thinking how the elven blood in Gourry had  
frequently shown through when he opened his mouth. "Yeah, but I knew all  
that already. Does anyone know anything that most people DON'T already  
know?"  
  
  
  
Gourry blinked. "Um, Lina, I know a lot about elves. I was raised with  
them, after all."  
  
  
  
Lina finished her healing spell. "Well, yeah... maybe you do. But I think  
Amelia wanted to know something about their magical abilities, which I doubt  
you paid much attention to."  
  
  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Maybe not..."  
  
  
  
The twelve warriors started marching down the path. As they walked, Amelia  
looked at Gourry curiously. "When did you leave the Elven village, anyway?"  
  
  
  
"Well, I'm not sure, exactly. Sylphiel, how long ago did we meet?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, about five years ago, Gourry, dear," Sylphiel said.  
  
  
  
"Five years ago, then. I worked for Sylphiel's town for a while as I tried  
to make enough money to get myself a set of armor- all I had when I left the  
village was my sword and my tunic- then I went adventuring again. I met  
Lina not too long after...."  
  
  
  
"And now," a new voice interrupted. "You've returned, Mr. Gabriev. But you  
've brought visitors with you- which, as you should have remembered, is a  
BIG no-no!"  
  
  
  
Gourry's face lit up. "I didn't have much choice, Mr. Gabriev," he replied,  
laughing.  
  
  
  
"Gourry!" the other voice said, its owner emerging from the trees. The man  
looked surprisingly like Gourry, only shorter and with pointed ears. "Long  
time, no see!"  
  
  
  
"I couldn't figure out how to get back home after I left, brother," Gourry  
replied. "Not until I found a way around the rock."  
  
  
  
"Oh! So THAT'S why no-one who leaves the village ever comes back."  
  
  
  
Everyone in the party was looking from Gourry to the other person, noticing  
the similarities. "Say, Gourry," Lina said. "Who is your, uh, friend?"  
  
  
  
"My BROTHER," he corrected. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Vawry, my older  
brother."  
  
  
  
"Half-brother," Vawry noted, noticing several people looking at his ears  
oddly. "Same Dad, but my mom was a full-blooded elf. She died, though."  
  
  
  
"Vawry, my friends and I need to hide out for a bit, and a couple of them  
need to get married. The village won't have any problem with that, will  
they?"  
  
  
  
Vawry, however, was looking from Lina to Naga oddly. "You two look  
familiar. Kinda like a picture I once saw in one of our history books." He  
shrugged. "Oh, well. I think, as long as they swear on the secrecy stone  
not to keep our existence a secret, there shouldn't be any problem. You  
WILL vouch for them, though, right?"  
  
  
  
Gourry hesitated, looking at Lina. "You promise not to wipe the village  
out, right?"  
  
  
  
Lina's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?" Gourry, surprisingly,  
didn't waver. "Okay, okay... I promise not to use any magical attacks until  
we leave the village unless someone else attacks me, first."  
  
  
  
"Yeah, Vawry, I'll vouch for them," he said immediately after she answered.  
  
  
  
Vawry stared at Lina. "Are you sure she's safe?"  
  
  
  
Gourry nodded. "I'm her protector. She's nice, it's just that she's also  
destructive, manipulative, violent, easily upset, sort of perverse..."  
  
  
  
Lina stamped her foot, wishing she could fireball him. "Hey, I'm standing  
right here!"  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
Their entrance into the elven village was something of an event for the  
townspeople, but otherwise went fairly smoothly. With Gourry's voucher and  
a simple vow of secrecy on some magical talisman (which Xelloss eyed  
suspiciously, and later in the privacy of their rooms announcing it had the  
usual elven defect of short-sightedness. It only forced a person to keep  
the village a secret while they were still in the village) there were no  
legal difficulties. Preparations were already being set up for Amelia and  
Zelgadis wedding, and more of Gourry's cluelessness was explained.  
  
  
  
There word 'fiance' had never been used in the village, as elves never  
waited before getting married (usually, a couple could just walk into the  
village hall, talk to a priest or priestess, and they'd be married in an  
instant. Amelia insisted on a bit more fanfare than the typical elven  
wedding demanded, however), so when Amelia announced that Zelgadis was her  
fiance, a number of people verbally wondered how a pickle was able to walk  
and talk. Also, the history of the Mazoku wars was not taught in schools-  
in fact, except for stories about the village's founding, history wasn't  
taught in the town at all.  
  
  
  
This lead Lina, upon discovering this fact, to take the awe-inspiring step  
of apologizing to Gourry for SOME of the punishment she had doled out for  
his ignorance. Not for all of it, though- the stuff he'd lived through he  
really should have remembered, in her mind.  
  
  
  
As the wedding dress was still being made and the arrangements were being  
taken care of by Vawry (under very explicit instructions from Amelia), the  
twelve members of the party gathered at the Gabriev estate to meet Gourry's  
family and to relax for a brief moment.  
  
  
  
"Gourry, my boy!" An older version of the swordsman said, encircling him in  
a powerful hug when he came into the door. "I was wondering when you'd stop  
by, after I heard that you finally made it back to the village."  
  
  
  
"We had a few things to do first, dad, and I'll have to head off to the town  
hall to witness the wedding of a couple of my friends soon, but I'm here  
right now."  
  
  
  
"Well, son, why don't you introduce me to your friends, then?"  
  
  
  
"Okay," Gourry said. "I'll start with Xelloss. He's a mazoku- apparently,  
one of the most powerful ones ever- but he's REALLY old. Over a thousand  
years! Sometimes he does some really evil things. Don't hold that against  
him, though- he's rather polite about it all, and can't help himself."  
  
  
  
"Hello!" Xelloss said, waving cheerfully.  
  
  
  
"This is Zelgadis. He's a little upset about his appearance, and likes to  
pretend he's this darkly mysterious villain-type. Really, though, he's just  
a nice guy who fights good."  
  
  
  
Zelgadis sweatdropped. "Um, hi."  
  
  
  
"This is Amelia. She and Zelgadis are about to get married. She's really  
into justice and stuff like that."  
  
  
  
"Hi! Thanks for helping us out, here!"  
  
  
  
"Zangulus, over there, used to want to prove himself the better swordsman  
than me. He's gotten married, however, and can't usually find the time to  
get away from his wife."  
  
  
  
Zangulus blinked. "I wouldn't quite put it that way... but I AM something  
of her slave, nowadays...."  
  
  
  
"And this is Martina, his wife. She's a little weird, and often annoying,  
and... well, really, I don't know why we let her follow us around, except we  
know she'll come chasing us whether we want her to or not."  
  
  
  
"Excuse me, Gourry, but-" Martina began, trying to correct a few things.  
  
  
  
Gourry was on a roll, however, and was not paying any attention to her.  
"Next to her is Filia. Filia's a dragon, but she doesn't look like it very  
much." He lowered his voice, though everyone else could hear him. "If you  
see a tail lying around, don't try and find out where it goes, she doesn't  
like that."  
  
  
  
"Um, hello, Mr. Gabriev," Filia said hesitantly, blushing slightly.  
  
  
  
"That's Sylphiel. She helped me to adjust to life outside the village at  
first. She's nice."  
  
  
  
"Hello, Mr. Gabriev," Sylphiel said confidently, trying to win the elder man  
's approval.  
  
  
  
"This is Vrumagum. We killed him a few times during one of our adventures."  
  
  
  
"It wasn't really ME you were killing- just a copy..."  
  
  
  
"That's Naga. She's Amelia's sister, but she's been missing for years. I  
don't really know much about her."  
  
  
  
"OOOH HO HO HO HO HO HO!"  
  
  
  
"Oh, yeah- she has a dangerous laugh, too," Gourry said, wincing.  
  
  
  
"OOOH HO HO HO HO HO HO!" Naga demonstrated again.  
  
  
  
"See?" Gourry sighed. "Next to her is Luna. She's almost as good with a  
sword as I am."  
  
  
  
"Hey," Luna waved.  
  
  
  
Lina braced herself for whatever description Gourry was going to give about  
her.  
  
  
  
"And this is her sister, Lina Inverse." Gourry considered her briefly.  
"She's perhaps the most dangerous person who ever lived. She's destroyed  
several Mazoku of various power levels, and would probably be able to  
destroy the whole world if she got mad enough." He paused. "I've promised  
to protect her for the rest of my life. And, for some reason, I've been  
able to sense when she's in danger recently... I think maybe we exchanged  
parts of our souls or something when we were in that big ball of chaos  
thingy."  
  
  
  
Everyone looked somewhat startled at that- even Luna and Xelloss. "Gourry?"  
Lina said, startled. The idea never occurred to her, but now that she  
thought about it.  
  
  
  
Xelloss was shocked as well. "How did you... uh... heh." Lina looked at  
him suspiciously, but he just waved her off. "Anyway, that's not important  
right now. We need somewhere we can talk in private for the moment, while  
we wait for the wedding preparations to be complete."  
  
  
  
"Right," Lina said, nodding. "Gourry?"  
  
  
  
"Dad?" Gourry queried.  
  
  
  
The elder Gabriev, totally unphased by everything he just heard, nodded and  
waved to the room on his left. "Sure, sure. No skin off my nose- use the  
whole house as you like. Make yourselves at home and all that. Excuse me,  
I've got to go out to the farm...."  
  
  
  
"Your dad's a farmer?" Sylphiel asked Gourry, watching his father depart as  
everyone settled down in the room.  
  
  
  
"I thought he was a swordsman like me," Gourry said thoughtfully, scratching  
his head. "He taught me how to fight, after all. Well, him and grandma...  
though, it has been a while since I've been back home, though. Maybe he  
retired."  
  
  
  
"As fascinating as Gourry's family may be," Lina grumbled, "I would like to  
start talking about what our next step will be. I mean, are we going to  
have to search for and destroy Dolphin, Dynast, and Zelas to get peace? And  
if so, how in all the hells ever imagined are we going to do that?"  
  
  
  
"We can't possibly beat them alone," Filia replied unhappily. "Unless you  
think you can cast multiple Giga Slaves in a short span of time, Lina."  
  
  
  
Lina sighed. "I'm a bit stronger than I was when I first used that spell in  
combat... but even now, with the magic amplifiers Xelloss gave me- now  
weakened by the destruction of Dark Star- it'll completely drain me. If we  
also had the Sword of Light, still, I might be able to use it as a focus to  
cast two of them before completely exhausting my magic. Ragna Blade, my  
next most powerful spell, I might be able to cast three times in quick  
succession. However, the Ragna Blade alone wasn't enough to do more than  
severely damage Gaav." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I think it's a  
safe bet that I'll only be able to handle one of them on my own. And only  
if I someone capable of covering me long enough to cast whatever I'm going  
to cast."  
  
  
  
Xelloss nodded. In a dangerously serious tone, he said, "I might be able  
to take on one of the others, with Luna's and Filia's help, but it'd be a  
risky thing. Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia might be enough to cover Lina  
long enough to cast anything she'd want, but it would be difficult. Still,  
I doubt the rest of you, combined, have enough power to stop even the  
weakest of the high Mazoku lords. And we are lacking in allies with the  
power to aid us at the moment- the race of Golden Dragons almost wiped  
itself out, and as far as I know the remaining survivors are in hiding.  
Filia's the only one Zelas was able to identify, though I believe Milgazia  
and a few of the other guardians of the Claire Bible are still around. At  
least, I didn't see them in that battle against Valgaav. The Black Dragons  
are weaker then the Gold were and wouldn't help us even if they could- the  
only races they will ever protect are other dragons, and even with Filia  
present they might attack us because they just don't like humans. And I  
won't even go into how weak the Red and Green dragon races have become..."  
  
  
  
"Only two forces are powerful enough, in truth, to fight successfully  
against the Mazoku lords," Vrumagum said, entering the discussion. "One is  
the fragments of Ceiphied. The other is Shabradnigo. Luna, you're the  
knight of Ceiphied- would they help us?"  
  
  
  
Luna shook her head. "Nope. Shabby would, though."  
  
  
  
Everyone stared at her in shock- even Xelloss. "What are you talking  
about?" the mazoku priest gasped.  
  
  
  
"Hey, if we freed just a fragment of him, I think the twelve of us could  
control him. 'specially since sis killed a part of him, before," Luna  
noted. "He wouldn't help us willingly, mind, but he'd help. We'd take him  
to one of the fragments of Ceiphied, and we'd have a bargaining chip in  
securing their aid. The utter destruction of Mazoku power would be a big  
added incentive, I would think."  
  
  
  
"Uh, sis," Lina said hesitantly in the silence that followed. "A few small  
problems with that. One, we don't have a fragment of 'Shabby' to  
'control.'"  
  
  
  
"I know where one is... I'd need you to help free him, though," Xelloss  
supplied, helpfully. "And you wouldn't have to worry, because he'd be too  
weakened to resist- he'd have to return to the human body which he's been  
trapped in.  
  
  
  
Lina sweatdropped. The Mazoku knew where a piece of Shabradnigo was, and  
they weren't freeing him? That sounded suspicious... unless the Mazoku no  
longer wanted Shabradnigo to rule them. Which theoretically was impossible,  
but then again so was Xellos' very existence at that moment- the concept of  
a mazoku disobeying its master was mind-boggling in itself, since according  
to all theory on mazoku biology that would be a negation of its own  
existence. That Xelloss was in open conflict with Zelas didn't seem...  
logical. Though there was that whole Lord of Nightmares element... but then  
again Xelloss was obviously made in part from Zelas, so that much of his  
existence should be in question. Instead, though, he seemed just as  
powerful as before.  
  
  
  
No time for puzzling that one out, though. "Uh, right," the sorceress  
replied. "Beyond that, though... wouldn't we be angering Ceiphied if we  
freed Shabradnigo? Which, I would think, would probably mean he wouldn't  
bother helping us after all, and might just do the Mazoku's job for them."  
  
  
  
Luna chucked, as if in on a joke the others didn't know. (She was, in fact,  
as every Ceiphied Knight knew a certain something about Shabradnigo that  
made them all so... amused, that they just couldn't wipe the smiles off  
their faces no matter what they did, or what happened to them. Most people  
assumed the smile was a requirement for being selected to the job- few  
realized that most Knights of Ceiphied were unusually serious people who  
just couldn't hold in the laughter of a secret they were forbidden to tell).  
"I don't think Ceiphied would mind, if we could keep Shabby pacified."  
  
  
  
Zangulus hesitantly suggested, "That might work, but I'd feel a lot better  
if we had a plan B. You know, find some force which just might be strong  
enough to help us even if we unintentionally start something like the Koama  
war. And even if we don't, the more force we'd have the better. I think I  
know of a few good mercenaries who, while not on par with Gourry or myself,  
could adequately handle Brass Demons and some lesser mazoku, at least."  
  
  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Good idea. We should definitely do both... but it would  
require that we split into two forces. One to capture Shabradnigo and  
gather Ceiphied's fragments together, and the other to collect an army."  
  
  
  
Lina hesitated. "Naga, if I wrote down a list of the people we met on our  
adventures I thought could help us, do you think you could find them?"  
  
  
  
Naga laughed. "Oh, ho ho ho ho ho! Why, of course, Lina!"  
  
  
  
Lina cringed. "Er, right. Look, if we split into two groups, Filia and I  
should be in the one to get Shabradnigo. We're the main targets of Zelas's  
attacks, I think, and it would be a good idea for our recruiters to be as  
unobstructed as possible. Naga and Zelgadis should go in the other one,  
though, because I know a lot of people who might be able to help and between  
those two they've met them all." She paused. "Gourry's memory isn't really  
reliable enough, and besides I'm pretty sure he'd want to stick with me."  
  
  
  
Xelloss nodded. "Then we're doing this? Well, I'd better join you, Lina-  
I'm probably a target as well, now. And we'll need Luna to talk to  
Shabradnigo and Ceiphied for us- they won't listen to you or me."  
  
  
  
Lina nodded. "Okay... one more person on our team, then. Amelia, I assume  
you want to stay with Zel?"  
  
  
  
Amelia blushed. "Well, he'll be my husband by then, so..."  
  
  
  
Lina just nodded. "Right. I doubt Zangulus and Martina would want to be  
split up for the same reason-"  
  
  
  
"Well, actually-" Zangulus started, before his loving wife kicked him in the  
shin.  
  
  
  
"And I doubt Martina will let Vrumagum join us. I guess that leaves you,  
Sylphiel."  
  
  
  
The shrine maiden mentioned smiled slightly. "I'd be honored, Lina."  
  
  
  
"Well, we've got a plan now. Good," Xelloss cheered, clapping his hands  
enthusiastically. "Anyone have anything else to add?"  
  
  
  
"I do," came an ethereal voice from the center of the room. It resolved  
itself around a growing ball of gold light, sprinkled with black, until it  
formed an image... vaguely resembling a glowing golden-haired Lina Inverse.  
"Greetings, Children."  
  
  
  
Luna and Xelloss both gasped and knelt down, bowing deeply. After a moment,  
most of the rest of the room realized that this was the Lord of Nightmares  
herself, and began bowing and kneeling themselves.  
  
  
  
Two of those present, however, did not. Gourry, because he was too busy  
trying to puzzle out why there were two Linas in the room, and Lina herself,  
because she was, well, too mesmerized.  
  
  
  
Pausing to smile at Lina, the Lord of Nightmares said, "I hope you don't  
mind my taking your form for this message. I... am unable to create my own,  
any more. I long for it, I beg for it, but...."  
  
  
  
Lina coughed, uncertain how to reply to the most powerful being in the  
entire universe when it apologized to her. Considering her reputation, Lina  
was expecting the Lord of Nightmares to kill them all right and left... then  
again, the god HAD spared her life last time she was supposed to destroy  
her... even if she remembered nothing from that incident. "Uh, no problem."  
  
  
  
"A prophesy is about to be made," The Lord of Nightmares said, appearing  
unusually benevolent. "Chaos demands I not know how all of this will play  
out, and I suspect some of you will find yourselves not liking the missions  
I send you on- most of you likely will not survive the experience. All in  
all, this should be fun."  
  
  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "I... don't get it."  
  
  
  
"I've called you all here to complete this prophesy," the deity answered.  
"For I have a personal interest in it."  
  
  
  
"I dunno if I like predestined journeys," Gourry said. "I don't think I'll  
do it, even if you do look like Lina."  
  
  
  
Lina's eyes bugged out. "GOURRY! Do you KNOW who you're saying no to?"  
  
  
  
He scratched his head. "Isn't she the thing that tried to force you into  
that big ball of payoff?"  
  
  
  
Zelgadis sweatdropped. "That was chaos, not... payoff. That's the second  
time you've made that mistake."  
  
  
  
Lina stared at Gourry aghast. "You called the Lord of Nightmares a BALL OF  
PAYOFF?!"  
  
  
  
"I love you all, my children," the Lord of Nightmares said, smirking at  
their antics. "I feed on the chaos you build together. But if you refuse  
this mission, I shall destroy you."  
  
  
  
Gourry frowned. "That's not nice."  
  
  
  
"Uh, Gourry," Lina began, a little worried. "She already spared us once  
when she was supposed to kill us. Let's not push our luck. Besides, if we  
can keep her on our side, maybe we'll have better luck when those Mazoku  
attack us again."  
  
  
  
"When will we hear this prophesy, Mother of All?" Xelloss asked humbly.  
  
  
  
"Soon," the seemingly all-powerful being replied. "I'd tell you who will  
give it, but that would put order in the chaos. In fact, good bye."  
  
  
  
With that, she vanished... leaving the band of twelve even more confused  
then when she first arrived.  
  
  
  
-------------------------  
  
A/N: You'll notice that this has a somewhat different version from the  
original draft, and that I've moved the prophesy out of this chapter. I  
dunno when I'll put it in, now, but it'll be coming soon... and then the  
main plot will start moving. 


End file.
